The Pairing
The Court of Broken Knives, by Anna Smith Spark
The Reasoning
A moment of bright sunshine in a dreary world, preserved lemons are a sweet and savory treat – tart and briny and nectarous in an environment that yields few pleasures. I couldn’t resist making them the focus of my cocktail.
The Cocktail
You will need:
- Cocktail Shaker
- Martini Glass
- 5-6 Ice Cubes
- Superfine/Baker’s Sugar
- Saucer
- 1 Lemon
- 1 tbsp Lemon Curd
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- 0.5 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Sprig Thyme (garnish)
Take your saucer and pour a little superfine sugar onto it. Cut a wedge from your lemon and swipe it around the rim of your martini glass, then dip into the sugar until the rim is fully coated. Tap to knock off any loose sugar, and set the glass to one side.
Put your ice cubes into the cocktail shaker, then add vodka, triple sec, balsamic vinegar and a generous tbsp of lemon curd. Squeeze out 1 oz of lemon juice and add to the shaker. Shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds to break up the lemon curd, and strain into the glass. Take a sprig of thyme and float it on the surface of the cocktail as garnish.
Enjoy – it’s nearly as delicious as Anna’s prose. 😉
Non Alcoholic Version
You will need:
- Cocktail Shaker
- Martini Glass
- 5-6 Ice Cubes
- Superfine/Baker’s Sugar
- Saucer
- 1 Lemon
- 1 tbsp Lemon Curd
- 1 Orange
- 0.5 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Sprig Thyme (garnish)
Take your saucer and pour a little superfine sugar onto it. Cut a wedge from your lemon and swipe it around the rim of your martini glass, then dip into the sugar until the rim is fully coated. Tap to knock off any loose sugar, and set the glass to one side.
Put your ice cubes into the cocktail shaker, then squeeze out 2 oz lemon juice and 2 oz orange juice and add to the shaker. Add lemon curd and balsamic vinegar, then shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds and strain into glass. Float a sprig of thyme on the surface for garnish.
Enjoy!
