Mastering the Margarita requires a certain amount of practice, which is the good news and the
bad news, but once you dial-in your perfect ratio, it’s a really easy
cocktail to replicate. The classic recipe is three parts tequila, two parts
triple sec, and one part freshly squeezed lime juice, and you should probably
start off pretty close to that, but my personal favorite proportions are 4-3-2, as you’ll see listed below.
For the best results, be sure to use fresh ice, and of
course fresh limes, as well as a nice bottle of triple sec, like Cointreau.
That’s my favorite, but if you browse other recipes, you’ll see there are many
fine choices. You’ll also want to use a decent white tequila, like the Don
Abraham's Single Estate Blanco Tequila I enjoyed, but having
said that, feel free to use one with a shorter name.
The other big tips here are shake your cocktail mixer until
frost forms on the outside, and then strain it over fresh ice. The ice we use
to make the drink will melt too fast in the glass, and so a large, still frozen
cube is the way to go. By the way, Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, so check those
ice cube trays before bed.
So whether you’re going to make these for the 5th of May, or
another time this summer when you feel like sipping on one of the most
refreshing, and delicious adult beverages ever invented, I really do hope you
give this Margarita a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 1 Perfect Margarita:
2 ounces white tequila
1.5 ounces triple sec
1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
1 thin slice of lime
- Some like to add a dash agave nectar for a little extra sweetness, but I do not.
I was only half kidding about the “ultimate” designation for
this, as it truly was everything I’ve ever wanted in a fresh berry crumble. This
has the perfect balance of sweet and tart, tender and crisp, not to mention copious
amounts of butter in our double application of crumble.
As I mentioned in the video, if you want a pie-like filling,
you’ll want to toss in a few teaspoons of cornstarch, otherwise for a runnier
fruit mixture cut it in half, or leave it out altogether. It really depends on
what you’re into, but either way, some ice cream on the side is highly
recommended.
This really shines with fresh berries, but it will work with
the frozen ones. Those tend to be a lot juicier, so keep that in mind when
making cornstarch related decisions. And don’t feel like you have to stick to
berries, as ripe peaches, and other summer stone fruit would also be fantastic
in this. No matter what you use, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 to 8 portions (made in 2-quart casserole):
For the crumble:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) frozen unsalted butter, grated
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or enough for dough to
“clump”
For the fruit mixture:
3 generous cups fresh berries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 to 4 teaspoons cornstarch, depending on how firm you want the
fruit filling (I used 4 tsp)
If you Google, “Scottish Oatcakes,” you’ll see lots of
pictures of what looks like thick, dense, pressed oatmeal cookies, which is the
most common version of this recipe. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of those,
since they tend to be very heavy, and filling, and not really something I want
to feature as the centerpiece for a fancy brunch menu.
However, there is another pancake-like version, and this is my
twist on that. I should’ve probably come up with my own, more appropriate name,
but I really love saying “Scottish Oatcakes,” and it just sounds like something
you’d want to eat for breakfast.
Once you mix up your batter, you can cook it right away,
which produces something that looks identical to what we have here, except the
texture will be much more toothsome. I do enjoy that approach, but if you let
the mixture sit for a while, the oats continue to soften, resulting in a
creamier center. I’ve also let this go overnight, which will give you a texture
very similar to actual oatmeal.
Regardless, you’re still going to get a beautifully browned,
crusty exterior; and it’s that contrast that makes this so unique. Some people
like to add dried fruit to these, but I do not. The same goes for the
traditional pinch of cinnamon, since I really don’t want these to taste like
oatmeal raisin cookies. As usual, suit yourself, but either way, I really do hope
you give these great oatmeal pancakes a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 Scottish Oatcakes:
(this is only 2 portions, so feel free to double or triple the
recipe)
1 cups *rolled oats
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup **self-rising flour
1/4 cup melted butter for panfrying
* I used the regular kind, but if you have to use the
instant ones, I probably wouldn’t cook them. I’d just mix them with the cream,
and let it sit until the mixture thickened up. By the way, this is just a
theory, as I’ve never attempted.
** If you don’t have self-rising flour, just add 1/4 cup of
all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and an extra pinch of
salt.
I used to tell my students to never try making classic
desserts “healthier,” since your guests will always compare it to the
unhealthy, and undoubtedly far superior original version.
And yet that’s
exactly what I’ve done with this strawberry semifreddo, although, in fairness,
that happened accidentally while I was trying to make the recipe easier.
Traditionally, we’d make an egg custard for the base, as
well as cook down our strawberry puree to concentrate the flavors; and while
that does produce a fine, and much richer semifreddo, I wanted something
simpler, that didn’t require any cooking. Besides saving time, and eggs, I
think we also get a little cleaner, more distinct berry flavor.
However, the price we pay for those skipped steps, and the
modest amount of sugar, is a less smooth and creamy texture. An extra rich,
classically made semifreddo can be quite similar to ice cream, whereas this
will be much firmer when frozen. That's why you really do need to let these
warm up for at least 10 or 15 minutes before serving.
In the video, I described the texture as something in between
strawberry ice cream and a strawberry popsicle, which reminds me, if you do
have the molds, this mixture would be perfect frozen on a stick. Regardless of
your delivery system, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Makes 10 Ramekins (mine were 5.5 ounces each):
1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
zest from 1 lemon
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar, optional
1 3/4 cups cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
