All you need to make a cocktail party go with a swing! Learn about the origins of classic mixes as well as the best way to make them. Chin chin!
Recipes, styling and photography by Lines + Angles
Penicillin cocktail
(For 2 servings)
Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Difficulty: easy
Cannot be frozen
Ingredients:
For the honey-ginger syrup:
5 oz | 2/3 cup honey
1 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
To assemble:
2 1/2 fl oz blended Scotch whisky
1 fl oz peated single malt whisky
1 3/4 fl oz fresh lemon juice
Method:
1 For the honey-ginger syrup: Combine honey with 2/3 cup hot water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, gently stirring, until honey dissolves, 3-4 minutes.
2 Add ginger to the honey syrup; gently simmer for 10 minutes. Set off the heat to infuse.
3 Meanwhile, place two martini or coupe glasses in a freezer to chill.
4 To assemble: When ready to assemble, half-fill a large shaker with ice cubes. Add the whiskies, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons honey-ginger syrup. Cover and shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty, 30-45 seconds.
5 Fine-strain into the chilled glasses. Serve straight away for best results.
Oysters Rockefeller and two cocktails (Tom Collins, and an Old Fashioned made with tequila)
(For 12 servings)
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Difficulty: medium
Cannot be frozen
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 scallion, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 tablespoons baby capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
2 tablespoons Pernod, or other Absinthe-style liqueur, divided
1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs
2 bacon slices, finely chopped
24 fresh rock oysters
2/3 cup butter, at room temperature, cubed and divided
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1 Blanch the parsley in a saucepan of salted boiling water until bright green, about 10 seconds. Drain and refresh in a bowl of ice water.
2 Drain and place the parsley in a food processor. Add the scallion, celery, capers, and lemon zest; pulse until finely chopped. Add 1 tablespoon Pernod and some salt and pepper to taste, pulsing a few times.
3 Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line two baking sheets with pieces of crumpled aluminium foil. (This allows the oysters to sit flat. )
4 In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and chopped bacon. Set aside.
5 Carefully shuck the oysters with a shucking knife; hold the oyster wrapped in a towel in one hand, and slide the tip of the knife into the hinge of the oyster, located at the thin end where the top and bottom shell meet. Once the tip of the knife is in the oyster, wiggle the knife back along the length of the shell to sever the adductor muscle that is attached to the top shell, opening up the oyster.
6 Carefully scrape the oyster meat onto a tray lined with paper towels; reserve half the shells.
7 Spoon the parsley mixture into the reserved shells and return the oyster meat on top. Top with the breadcrumb mixture; dot with butter. Place the oysters on the foil on the sheets.
8 Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake the oysters until golden brown and bubbling, 10-15 minutes.
9 Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter with the remaining Pernod in a small saucepan.
10 To serve, spoon the melted butter mixture over the oysters.
Herb sandwiches with caviar and a Gibson cocktail
(For 12 servings)
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Difficulty: easy
Cannot be frozen
Ingredients:
12 slices soft white bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
4 oz | 1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 3/4 oz fresh beluga caviar, kept on ice
Method:
1 Spread the bread slices with softened butter.
2 In a bowl, stir together the chopped herbs. Scatter the chopped herbs over half the buttered bread slices. Cover with remaining bread slices to complete the sandwiches.
3 Cut out four rounds from each sandwich using a 2-inch wide cookie cutter.
4 To serve, top sandwiches with crème fraîche, shallots, and caviar.
Mini mozzarella balls wrapped in ham, devilled eggs and a Manhattan
(For 12 servings)
Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 25 min
Difficulty: easy
Cannot be frozen
Ingredients:
For the deviled eggs:
12 small eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 oz | 1/2 cup garden cress, snipped
For the mini mozzarella balls:
24 bocconcini, drained
12 prosciutto slices, torn in half
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
1 For the deviled eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water; set it over moderate heat and bring to a boil.
2 As soon as you see bubbles, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and leave for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and refresh in a bowl of ice water.
3 Drain, crack, peel, and rinse off any shell. Carefully halve the eggs and remove the yolks to a mixing bowl, adding the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, mustard, Tabasco, salt, paprika, and black pepper; reserve the egg white halves. Mash the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
4 Spoon or pipe the egg yolk mixture back into the egg white halves. Arrange on a platter, spaced apart, and garnish with cress. (If not serving straight away, cover and chill until ready.)
5 For the mini mozzarella balls: Preheat a broiler to high heat.
6 Wrap the bocconcini with the prosciutto. Thread two bocconcini onto metal skewers, 12 skewers in total. Arrange the skewers on a grilling tray.
7 Place the tray under the broiler and grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the cheese starts to soften and melt, 2-3 minutes.
8 Carefully transfer to a platter or plate and drizzle with olive oil before serving alongside the deviled eggs.
