Carrot and pickled christophene martini

By reading the title one might wonder, who exactly would be interested in a carrot and pickled christophine martini. Or even for the adventurous palate, what would it taste like? Would I like it?

Carrot Martini

Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, named after the umbrella-like flower clusters that plants in this family produce. As such, carrots are related to parsnips, fennel, parsley, anise, caraway, cumin and dill. Carrots can be as small as two inches or as long as three feet, ranging in diameter from one-half of an inch to over two inches. Carrot roots have a crunchy texture and a sweet and minty aromatic taste, while the greens are fresh tasting and slightly bitter. While we usually associate carrots with the color orange, carrots can actually be found in a host of other colors including white, yellow, red, or purple. In fact, purple, yellow and red carrots were the only color varieties of carrots to be cultivated before the 15th or 16th century. 

Colors of Carrot

When asked what nutrient does carrot contain. Beta-carotene might be the most common response. On conducting research, I realized carrots possess a wide variety of  antioxidant benefits, cardiovascular benefits and anti-cancer benefits.

Nutrients in Carrots   1.00 cup (122.00 grams)

Nutrient                                                %Daily Value

Vitamin A                                                   407.6%

Vitamin K                                                     20.1%

Fiber                                                             13.6%

Vitamin C                                                         12%

Potassium                                                      11.1%

Manganese                                                       8.5%

Vitamin B6                                                       8.5%

Molybdenum                                                    8.1%

Vitamin B3                                                          6%

Folate                                                              5.7%

Vitamin B1                                                       5.3%

Phosphorus                                                      4.2%

Vitamin B2                                                       4.1%

Vitamin E                                                            4%

Now onto, Sechium edule of the Cucurbitaceae family. Which is more commonly referred to as Chayote, christophene, christophine, cho-cho, mirliton in French, pear squash, vegetable pear, chouchoute, choko, guatila in Spanish. It is a perennial plant thanks to its tuber, which is cultivated in hot countries. The plant produces long, climbing stems that bear its fruit, which can be eaten when ripe. The fruit are large pear-shaped berries, 10 to 15 cm long, with irregular, creamy-yellow or pale green sides.Christophene has a high water content, low calorie content and a  high nutritional density. There are three main varieties: 1. a pale green, pear-shaped variety, a small, cream-coloured variety and lastly, a dark-green, more spiky variety  

Christophene

Nutritional values (per 100 g)

Calories	19 kcal
Proteins	0.82 g
Carbohydrates	4.51 g
Fats	0,13 g
Fibre	1.7 g
Sodium	2 mg
Potassium	125 mg
Magnesium	12 mg
Iron	0.34 mg
Calcium	17 mg
Vitamin C	7.7 mg
Vitamin B9	93 mg

Having undertaken professional culinary training from the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, I understand the flavour profiles and the matching principles for the two main ingredients. The carrot is crisp and sweet with an earthy undertone. Whereas the christophene appears to be mild and subtle the perfect canvas to absorb flavour.
Thus I present to you, an adult-only recipe to include veggies in your diet.This drink is definitely not harsh on the palate, since the main spirit (vodka) is extremely light, not aged in oak barrels and it simply seems to disappear off the tongue. 

Pickled Christophene and Carrot Martini

I must say, do not be intimidated by the steps. It might appear to be complex but it isn’t.

Serving 1

Ingredients

·         2 ounces christophene infused vodka (recipe below)

·         1 ounce pickled christophene(recipe below)

·         2 ounces carrot puree (recipe below)

Christophene Infused Vodka

·         2 ounces Absolut vodka

·         1 ounce christophene peeled and julienned (cut into thin long slices)

Pickled Christophene

·        2 ounces Apple cider vinegar

·        1/8 tsp Salt

·        1 tsp White sugar

·        1/8 tsp Black pepper

·        1 small clove of garlic (finely minced)

Carrot Puree

·        8 ounces chopped carrots

·        3 ounces pineapple juice

Instructions

Christophene Infused Vodka

1.     Combine vodka and christophene in a clean mason jar.

2.     Close jar tightly and store in a cool dry place for 2 days.

3.      Give it a good shake once or twice per day.

4.     Strain christophene from the vodka and reserve the infused vodka for the cocktail and the christophene for the garnish.

Pickled Christophene

1.       Use the christophene from step 4 above.

2.       Dissolve the salt and sugar into the apple cider vinegar. Add the black-pepper and minced garlic.

3.       Allow this mixture to infuse for 15 minutes covered at room temperature.

4.       Add the julienned christophene to the apple cider vinegar mixture and allow it to infuse into the julienned christophene for another 15 minutes

5.        Remove from the vinegar mixture and set aside to chill in the refridgerator.

Carrot Puree

1.       In a blender puree carrots along with pineapple juice, strain using cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve. Refridgerate in a closed container.

Carrot Christophene Martini

1.     Bundle the chilled, pickled christophene and place into the centre of the martini glass. Combine strained carrot puree and infused vodka into a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, shake for 30 seconds and pour into martini glasse over the christophene. Enjoy!

 I can see you grinning from ear to ear and sipping with utmost satisfaction. I’m sure you are glad you tried it.

Rum marinated leg of lamb with a decadent spicy chocolate sauce.

One method of pairing rum and food is to consider the flavor profiles of your rum. Perhaps a rum with hints of orange peel, almond, caramel and vanilla could be paired with ingredients of the similar nature:

• A nice pot still rum goes well with spicy foods. The robust flavors counter the heat. Try Appleton Extra, El Dorado 5 or El Dorado 15 yr.
• To pair with a light salad, you might go with a Cuban style rum. Anything heavier, and you wont enjoy your salad, perhaps Matusalem Clasico. If there is seafood included in the salad, go with Brugal Anejo.
• For heavier dinner courses like beef or lamb, a good sweet dark rum would work. This would be a good place to have a Zaya or Zacapa.
• With a dessert, I would agree to have a dry aged rum like Mt Gay XO or Flor de Cana 7 or 18 yr.
• If its just a Digestif, have fun with it, maybe Castries, One Barrel, or Cruzan Black Strap.

Rum marinated  leg of lamb with a decadent spicy chocolate sauce

The rum selected to marinate the leg of lamb was Angostura 7 year old. This rum is aged for a minimum of seven years in ‘once used’ bourbon casks until it can be bottled and enjoyed to the full. It is  packed with mouth watering flavours that include maple, chocolate, honey and toffee and presents a rich full-bodied taste that tapers off in to the classic rum finish. This rum was perfect since it completed the bitter notes of the chocolate and it was powerful enough to lend itself to the fragrant aromatics.

The leg of lamb was marinated over-nite with the rum and infused with rosemary, garlic, fresh cracked black pepper. It was placed on a roasting pan with a bed of potatoes, carrots and white onions.

.Melted dark chocolate couverture, a healthy serving of cayenne pepper, grated fresh garlic and Angostura 7 year old was the decadent chocolate sauce.

.After being roasted and rested, it was sliced thickly and drizzled with the chocolate rum sauce.

Rum

I had the privilege of Chef Ottley Alexis from Hilton Trinidad lecture and demonstrate cooking principles using rum. It was a participative session in which the history, raw materials, production and pairing techniques were explored with Caribbean rum. Who would of thought, rum was so complex? I have the pre-conceived notion that once you have enough ice and a good “chaser” was an accurate summary of rum. Indeed I was fooled. Today I will hope to establish some clarity on the term rum.

Rum is a spirit distilled from Sugar cane juice, either from the molasses (Thick, dark brown, uncrystallized juice obtained from raw sugar during the refining process.) created as part of making sugar (Rum Industrial) or directly from the sugar cane juice (Rhum Agricole and Cachaca)

Sugar-cane

Sugar-cane

Sugar- cane juice

Molasses

Rum comes in three main styles: 

1. White rum (good cocktail/mixed drink base)

2. Gold or Aged (cocktails, mixed drinks and sipping) 

3.  Dark (mixed drinks and cocktails)

The main factors that will influence the quality and style of a rum are:

 1.The source of the sugar (sugar cane direct or molasses)

 2. The length of fermentation (short equals light rum; long equals heavy/dark rum)
 3. The type of Still (Pot equals heavy; Continuous equals light)
 4. The length of time in the barrel
 5. The strength of the rum at bottling

Styles of Rum
There are no legal definitions as to the classification of rum but here is a rough guide:

White/Light/Silver : Clear coloured, light bodied and dry. Most are column-distilled and work as a fairly neutral base for a cocktail. E.g. Bacardi Carta Blanco, Havana Club Silver Dry.

Gold/Oro/Ambre: Medium bodied, slightly sweet rums. Can be made in either type of still. Colour comes from the wood although some caramel can be added. Good mixed or drunk neat/rocks. E.g. Appleton V/X, Mount Gay Eclipse.

Dark/Black: Usually made in pot stills and aged in heavily charred barrels. These are the more traditional styles of rum. They are very aromatic and full-bodied with a large molasses note. Often caramel is added for colour and flavour. E.g. Lambs Navy Rum, Woods 100.

Premium Aged/Anejo/Rhum Vieux:  Amber-hued, well-matured rums thought of very highly by rum connoisseurs. The “Cognac of the Caribbean”. E.g. Havana Club 15Yr Old, Appleton Extra.

Single Marks/Single Barrel: Very rare rums from a single distillery. Often bottled from individual casks or from vintage years. E.g. Cruzan Single Barrel, J. Bally 1976.

Overproof: Mainly a category filled with white rums. Needs to have an abv over 57%. Very strong, very powerful – not for the faint hearted. Usually used in punches or longer drinks. E.g. Wray & Nephew Overproof (68%abv), Bacardi 151 (75.5%abv)

Cachaca:  The main cane spirit in South America. It is also known as “Aguardiente de cana”. It is made from the sugar cane juice and is so a Rum Agricole.

In the next  post we will discuss the cooking principles and experiment with some recipes like Roasted lamb with a spicy chocolate dark rum sauce and pan seared mahi mahi with a white rum butter sauce.

Easter Desserts

Contrary to popular belief, Dessert is not the end of the meal in my Family. We eat so much of our main course until there isn't enough room for even a dinner mint. Dessert comes very long after. Like a three hours after. Never the less we still look forward to our dessert, a second meal. Hot Cross Buns are just one of my favourite Easter delicacies. Some unusual Easter desserts, I discovered that can qualify to be stars on our Easter lunch table include 4 of Martha Stewart's  2013 Picks. Hopefully when I recreate them it will taste and look just as it appears below. Let me be a bit more realistic, I will be extremely grateful if it taste as it is supposed to taste.

Spring Shower Almond Petits Fours
Photo Courtesy www.marthastewart.com

Rich Chocolate Cake with truffle Egg Nest
Photo Courtesy www.marthastewart.com

Lemon Souffle
Photo Courtesy www.marthastewart.com

Marshmallow Critters
Photo Courtesy www.marthastewart.com

Don't get me wrong, Martha Stewarts main audience is at home cooks. Thus the  difficulty level is usually low to medium. But on Easter, I still have the appetizers, salad, main-course,sides, dessert and get my home ready for guest.So I will strive for taste this time.As soon as school is finished with comsuming me, I will attempt these for flavour and appearance.  

Easter

It’s the Easter Weekend in Trinidad and Tobago and obviously us Trinbagonians are enjoying the extra long weekend from Thursday midnight to Monday midnight. Can’t blame us, we use  every excuse as a reason to “lime” and socialize. I was supporting my fellow Trinbagonian counterparts at the Easter 2013 Grand Prix yesterday and they did do us proud. Congratulations on a job well done on taking us to Rio to compete internationally. Despite the thrill, vigour and excitement at the Prix, the refreshment stalls didn’t quite have a standard.

It ranged from over-priced chicken and chips to not enough “chow” and “souse”, too cold potato pies and finally heavy hot cross buns. Not too sure, if the person that knead it had a heavy hand, but it was more than rock buns. Another local delicacy with a rough shell-like appearance. Thus I found it wise to share my favourite Hot Cross Buns Recipe. It takes a bit of time but it is so worth it. One is left with an airy, lightly sweet bun, loaded with glazed fruits. Next time, you might want to double the batch. 

Hot Cross Buns

Preparation Time:20 mins

Proofing Time: 3hours

Cooking Time: 30 Mins

Yield: 1125g

Servings: 15 buns (75 g each)

Dough

v 200ml Full Cream Milk

v 100 ml Fresh Coconut Cream (Unsweetened)

v  50g Butter

v 500g All-purpose flour

v  5g Salt

v  75g Granulated sugar

v  15ml Soya-bean oil

v  7g sachet Instant Yeast

v  1 Large egg, beaten

v  1ml Yellow Food Colour (Liquid)

v  75g Golden Raisins

v  50g Candied Fruits

v  zest 1 orange

v  zest 1 lime

v  5g ground cinnamon

v 3 g Nutmeg (grated)

Cross

v  75g Confectioners sugar

v  60 ml Full Cream Milk

Glaze

v 45ml apricot jam

Method

1.  Bring the fresh coconut cream and full cream milk to a boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter and yellow food colour. Leave to cool until it reaches 35 degrees Celsius. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast  into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.

2.     Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.

3.     With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the golden raisins, candied fruit, orange zest, lime zest, nutmeg and cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.

4.     Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece - see Tip below). Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don't wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.

5.     Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.

6.     Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

7.     Mix the confectioners sugar with 60ml full-cream milk to make the icing for the cross. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.

Hope you enjoy the recipe and Happy Easter.