Basil Martini
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A few weeks ago, inspired by this blog, which in turn took its inspiration from this idea for infusing flavours in liquid, I tried making a Basil Martini. Basically a standard Gin Martini, but with basil infused gin. It was extremely easy, really delicious, very moreish, leading me to get trashed. It had a vanilla note for some reason. Not sure where that came from, something to do with the sweetness from the gas perhaps?
First make the Basil Gin:
Pack an isi whipper with fresh basil (I use a 25g pack from Waitrose) that has been lightly crushed (I just rubbed the bunch in my hands a few times then twisted in half). Half-fill the canister with gin (I used around 300-350ml).
Cover and charge with 1 N2O cartridge. Shake slowly for 1 minute. Rapidly discharge gas. Uncover and allow to stand for 3 minutes before straining.
Then proceed as per a standard Gin Martini recipe:
Fill a glass with 3 ounces gin, add a dash of vermouth, and stir. You can tell when it's cold enough from the outside of the glass, you shouldn't need to stir for more than a minute.
Basil Gin Martini: Done.
By the way, some people get confused by the term "Martini". I think this is because there's a well known Italian brand of vermouth called "Martini". However, the cocktail Martini is a drink comprised of Gin and vermouth (vermouth is a fortified wine flavoured with herbs). It can also be made with vodka instead of gin, if so it tends to be shaken rather than stirred.
Recipe
First make the Basil Gin:
Pack an isi whipper with fresh basil (I use a 25g pack from Waitrose) that has been lightly crushed (I just rubbed the bunch in my hands a few times then twisted in half). Half-fill the canister with gin (I used around 300-350ml).
Cover and charge with 1 N2O cartridge. Shake slowly for 1 minute. Rapidly discharge gas. Uncover and allow to stand for 3 minutes before straining.
Then proceed as per a standard Gin Martini recipe:
Fill a glass with 3 ounces gin, add a dash of vermouth, and stir. You can tell when it's cold enough from the outside of the glass, you shouldn't need to stir for more than a minute.
Basil Gin Martini: Done.
By the way, some people get confused by the term "Martini". I think this is because there's a well known Italian brand of vermouth called "Martini". However, the cocktail Martini is a drink comprised of Gin and vermouth (vermouth is a fortified wine flavoured with herbs). It can also be made with vodka instead of gin, if so it tends to be shaken rather than stirred.
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