Lots of people send liqueurs for Purim, in those cute little bottles, or serve them at the seuda. It so happens that making your own liqueur is really easy. For years I didn’t try it, thinking there must be some kind of trick to it. But once I could not easily find Kahlua with a hechsher (I have heard it still has a hechsher in Mexico), making my own became way more attractive. And then I discovered how easy it is.
You do not need
the best vodka, but I would strongly recommend against the worst
vodka. Pick a vodka you like that’s not too overboard. The coffee and
sugar will not only mask the flavor of the vodka, it will mellow the vodka with
time as well. You are looking for about 100 proof vodka. (Smirnoff would work.)
As for the coffee, I like to use decaf coffee because I am particularly
sensitive to caffeine. For a slightly earthier taste, you can use brown
sugar.
Coffee Liqueur
4 c. strong coffee
4 c. sugar
4 c. vodka
4 inches of vanilla bean cut
lengthwise or 1 T. pure vanilla extract
To make a coffee
simple syrup, heat the coffee and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan until the sugar
dissolves. Let the syrup cool. When cool, add vodka. (You don’t want to add the
alcohol to a hot mixture because the heat evaporates the alcohol). Once the
mixture is combined, pour it into in some kind of closeable container (I used
the vodka bottle) and add the vanilla bean. Let it steep in a cool, dark place
for three weeks. If you used vanilla extract, that’s it, you’re done; start
drinking now!
Pour the liqueur
in your own containers to give out for shalach
manos. Hey, wait just a cottonpickin’ minute. If I put 4 cups of strong
coffee, 4 cups of sugar, and 4 cups of vodka back into the vodka bottle, what
am I doing with the rest of the vodka? That, dear reader, you will have to
figure out on your own.
Pro-Tip: You can
make your own vanilla with vodka! Get some whole vanilla beans and let them
steep in the vodka for about a month. You will find this method will yield a
vastly cheaper vanilla than if you buy vanilla extract by the ounce.
Limoncello (Lemon Liqueur)
Here’s another recipe for homemade
liqueur. This one takes a lot more time to steep. You can definitely use a
small-proof (less alcohol content) alcohol. The end result will be less strong,
which might be a good thing. I personally like my alcohol like I like my drinks:
sweet and light. Is it close to a milkshake? That’s my bar. The closer the
drink is to a milkshake, the more I’m going to like it. (So the above coffee
liqueur with a whole bunch of cream or milk is right up my alley).
It’s best to use
organic lemons so that your drink doesn’t get any chemicals into it. You’re
going to be using the peel (not the white pith) for this drink.
15 organic lemons
2 (750-milliliter) bottles 151-proof
grain alcohol
4 c. sugar
9 1/2 c. water, divided
Wash and dry the
lemons, and then peel them so that you only get the zest. The zest is the
yellow part. The white part is the pith, and it’s bitter, you want to avoid
that part. Place the peels in a clean and dry one-gallon glass jar that has a
closeable lid. Add 1 bottle of alcohol. Make sure the peels are
submerged. Place the bottle in a cool dark place for 20 to 40 days. Add
the second bottle of alcohol.
In a large
saucepan, place the sugar and 7.5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Stir. Once
the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat. When this mixture is cooled,
add to the glass jar. The liquid will absorb the flavor (and the color!) of the
lemon peels.
After about 20 to 40
days, strain the liquid into a big bowl. Add 1 2/3 cup water. The liquid
will be yellow and a little cloudy. Then pour the liquid into the
containers you want to keep the limoncello in. Share and enjoy! You can store it
in the freezer so when you do drink it, it’ll be super cold, which apparently
is not only desirable thing but a nod to how milkshakes are the best drink
ever.
Limencello Fish
“Seriously, Bracha, we just put
the limoncello together, and you told us it’s not going to be ready for
20-40 days. Why are you giving us a recipe with limoncello in the ingredients?”
Well, first of all, because it’s delicious. And secondly, you definitely can
use fresh lemon or lime juice in this dish, it just happens to be yummier with
the limoncello. “And, Bracha, I don’t even like flounder. Well, you could use surimi
or cod, or another white fish. Chilean sea bass? Yeah, that’d be great (a
little pricey, but great). If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use olive oil
or canola oil, or the oil of your choice.
1 lb. skinned flounder
1 c. flour
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 c. limoncello or lemon juice
1 c. white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish
Rinse off the
flounder and pat dry with paper towels. (As with many fish, sometimes the fish
might smell fishy because of the liquid that is on the fish; once it’s rinsed
off, it smells, and tastes, better.) Place the flounder in a bowl and toss
with the flour until lightly coated. Over medium heat, add the oil to a
sauté pan. Add the shallot and stir to evenly coat. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until the shallots are slightly browned. Add the
flounder, white wine, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring frequently, and
flip the flounder only once after about 3 minutes. Add the limoncello and
finish cooking for another 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and
pepper to taste.
Coffee Rubbed Steak
Okay, okay, if I gave you a recipe
with the limoncello, I’m going to have to give you a recipe for a coffee dish
that can go with the coffee liqueur. This dish is awesome, but if you are
sensitive to caffeine, it’s not for you. Here it is.
2 T. ancho chile powder (optional; it’s clearly going to make it spicy)
2 T. finely ground coffee beans
5 tsp. dark brown sugar
1 T. hot smoked Spanish paprika (or regular paprika)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 T. kosher salt, plus more
2 16-ounce boneless steaks (about
1 inch thick)
2 T. vegetable oil
Mix ancho chile
powder, ground coffee, brown sugar, paprika, dried oregano, pepper, coriander,
mustard, ginger, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small bowl. Season steaks with
salt, then coat with 5 teaspoons spice rub per steak (save any extra rub for
your next steak). Place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and
chill overnight. (This helps dry out the outside of the steak, which will help
get a better sear.)
Let steaks sit 1
hour to come to room temperature, which will help them cook quickly and more
evenly. (Really, who has time for this?! The recipe calls for it, and, if you
have your cooking planned out, it shouldn’t be a problem. Would I delay dinner
an hour for this? No, I would not.)
Preheat oven to
400° F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook steaks 2 minutes or
so on each side to create a nice crust. Transfer skillet to oven; cook steaks
until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°.
Transfer steaks to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Slice into
half-inch-thick slices. Serve either on top of mashed potatoes (a personal
favorite) or on lettuce as an amazing salad.
Bracha Shor loves
hearing from you. Contact her at bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com.
You can get
more inspiration by following me on LinkedIn @Janinne Bracha Shor.
