THE RECIPES

 

My wife, Christina, works miracles in the kitchen on a daily basis, and women in the charming, yet regrettably dry town of Haddonfield have tried for years to get her to give up some of her kitchen secrets. Most of her recipes have never been written down, except for the ones handed down by the women in her family.

 

Not even a secret wiretapping operation run by the National Security Agency could uncover some of her recipes, but she's agreed (after much begging on my part) to give up a couple of her whisky-related specialties here...Enjoy!

 

 Drunk Grilled Salmon

 

This recipe was developed when we lived in Alaska, and I prefer to use good Alaskan salmon because it seems more substantial to me.  I recommend marinating the salmon overnight and making the chutney mid-day so the flavors have a chance to play.

 

Two ½ pound filets of Salmon on the thicker side

 

Marinade

½ cup Bourbon

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped ginger (you can use crystallized ginger or ginger puree from the jar, but powdered ginger does not substitute well)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup fresh chopped cilantro

 

Salt and pepper the filets.  Stir marinade ingredients together and then put into a flat container with the salmon meat side down. Refrigerate overnight if possible but set fish out to come to room temperature before grilling so the salmon does not stick to the grill. Grill over a medium fire until salmon is cooked fully (if you want to know how to test for a medium cooked filet, take your middle finger and touch your thumb; with your other hand, tap the meaty part of your palm below the thumb.  That is the same firmness you should feel when you tap the salmon.)

 

Finish with a “chutney” glaze:

 

Two ripe Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped

¼ cup bourbon

1/8 cup cilantro

1/8 cup dried cranberries

Pinch to taste of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar

 

Cook together above ingredients over a low heat until the apples are soft and the cranberries plump.

 

 Bourbon Balls 2.0 (2007 version)

 

My recommendation is to use the darkest chocolate you can find for this recipe, and I like the Ghirardelli Baking Chips with 60% Bittersweet Cocoa.

 

2 1/2 cups of pecans, finely chopped

¼ cup of bourbon

½ cup of butter

2 pounds of confectioners sugar

1 cup of dark chocolate chips

 

 

Sift the confectioners sugar and cream together with the butter, then add the bourbon and pecans.  Roll into 1 inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and cover with moist paper towels.  Refrigerate at least two hours.  Melt the chocolate chips.  Using a skewer, dip the chilled balls into a bowl of bourbon to soak for a few seconds, then into the melted chocolate. Place on cookie sheet to harden. Makes about three dozen. Extra mixture can be frozen if desired.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since these cookies spend no time in the oven, the alcohol in the bourbon remains at full strength. These cookies are for adults only, and the usual guidelines about responsible use of alcohol apply.

  

©2010, Cask Strength Media, Haddonfield, New Jersey. Please drink responsibly.