Amalfi Limone
Now that's amore.
by Erin Henderson
"Good artists copy, great artists steal," Pablo Picasso said.
Armed with this information, dubious though it may be, I feel totally and utterly vindicated and absolved of my blatant theft of this cocktail recipe.
I've taken it, unabashedly, from a restaurant on Toronto's lake front, La Vecchia, after sampling it at lunch not long ago. To be fair, I told them I was going to do so, and they enthusiastically told me the ingredients, though not the measurements, and even went so far as to offer a little of the herb oil to take home (I declined. Replicating a recipe is one thing, replicating someone else's recipe and then boldly using their ingredients, is a totally different kettle of fish.)
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However, recipe stealing – let's just call it inspiration – is my favourite thing about going to restaurants. When I'm tapped out of creativity, I can find it again in a cozy banquette or saddled up the bar of a bustling place. It's rare for me to go with a favourite entree or familiar cocktail, I like to explore with the intention of discovering new ideas.
My bold and brave journeys into the unknown parts of the menu are almost always rewarded. It most certainly was with this snappy cocktail.
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Amalfi Limone
This drink blends all the flavours I love: zippy citrus, savoury herbs, and just enough booze to make me feel like a grown up.
To double strain simply means to pour through the top of the shaker through a second strainer, a fine-mesh cocktail sieve. This will catch any loose particales of basil that may have broken away.
Makes: 1 drink
Bartender level: moderate
Special equipment: fine mesh cocktail strainer
Ingredients:
- 2 oz citrus gin, such as Malfy Lemon Grass Gin or Empress Cucumber Lemon
- ¼ oz bianco vermouth
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 4-5 large basil leaves
- 4-5 drops basil-mint oil*
How to Make It:
- Fill a coup with ice and set in the fridge or freezer to chill while making the drink.
- To a shaker filled with ice, add the gin, vermouth, lemon juice, simple syrup, and basil leaves.
- Shake with admirable vigour for 30 seconds to both chill the drink and break down the basil leaves a little.
- Remove the coup from the fridge and dump the ice.
- Double strain the drink into the chilled coup. Dot with a few drops of basil-mint oil.
Basil-Mint Oil
Though making herb oil is largely hands-off, it's not quick, so I prefer to make a larger batch when I make it. If you feel the same feel free to double or triple the recipe. Stored in the fridge, basil-mint oil will last indefinitely, but will solidify. Take it out about an hour before you need to use it. I generally go through mine fairly quickly, as I use it on pasta and grilled chicken and all kinds of things, so I play fast and loose and leave it in a sealed container on the counter where it lasts a few days. If you choose this dangerous path, remember: if it smells off or gets moldy, throw it away.
Makes: about 1 cup
Chef level: easy
Special Equipment: Blender or nutribullet, fine mesh sieve, cheese cloth or coffee filter
Ingredients:
- 1 cup loosely packed basil
- 1 cup loosely packed mint
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
How to Make It:
- Blanch the herbs to retain their bright green colour: bring a pot of salted water to a boil and dunk the herbs for 3 seconds then plunge into ice water. Drain on clean kitchen towels really well (you could even run them through a salad spinner, if you would like.
- Into the cup of a blender, add the blanced herbs and the olive oil. Blitz for a minute or two to really break down the herbs.
- Set the fine mesh sieve over a bowl and line the sieve with the cheesecloth or coffee filter. Pour the oil in, allowing it to drain on its own, which takes forever. You don't want to press on the solids or rush the process because that will just cloud the oil. You want bright, clear, emerald green with lots of herbal flavour.
- Pour into a clean jar or squeeze bottle and proceed.
