Lockdown with Salsa Rose
This week we thought we would speak to the creatives behind the food and drink duo Salsa Rose who share with us one of their favourite lockdown recipes.
Hesper and Olivia are a one stop shop for beautifully curated dinners, delicious cocktails, catered parties, supper clubs and in London offer a luxury food delivery service.
A little bit about them:
Hesper heads up the cooking having trained and worked in Tokyo, New Zealand and Italy. She holds a Cordon Bleu Diplôme de Cuisine and has worked under Skye Gyngell at Spring restaurant, Somerset House. Hesper grew up in the Outer Hebrides where she developed her love for foraging and cooking outdoors.
Olivia takes care of the cocktail and wine side of things. She spent the last 8 years working at a top UK wine importer as well as event planning and logistics for drinks brands. Olivia grew up amongst the vines in South West France and studied for her WSET Level 4 Diploma in wines and spirits in London.
Green Chartreuse & Lime Gin Fizz
Long and refreshing with a foamy head, herbal green chartreuse and
soft orange blossom.
You will need:
A jigger
A shaker
A fine strainer
A highball glass
Ingredients:
1 ounce fizzy water
1/2 ounce green Chartreuse
1 3/4 ounce gin
1 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
5 drops orange blossom water
1 egg white
Garnish: lime half-wheel
Directions:
Pour the Chartreuse into the bottom of a highball. Fill with large ice cubes and add the fizzy water. Place glass in the freezer. Place gin, lime juice, simple syrup, orange blossom water and egg white into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until ice cold and frothy. Remove the glass from the freezer and strain the frothy mixture carefully to achieve a layered effect. Garnish with the lime wheel
Crab and Fennel Risotto with Chilli and Crème Fraîche
Ingredients:
200g white crab meat
300g arborio rice
Glass of white wine
2-3 onions (thinly sliced)
2 bulbs of fennel (bulb sliced, fronds picked)
150g butter
300ml shellfish bisque (homemade or sold in fishmongers or good grocers)
1L fish stock
200ml crème fraîche
1 chilli (thinly sliced)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
Fresh parsley (leaves picked)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the herb oil (optional):
150ml light olive oil
Small bunch parsley (leaves picked)
Fennel fronds
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Finely slice your onions and cook gently in olive oil with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent. Finely slice the fennel before adding to the onions and continuing to cook until softened. Add your risotto rice and toast for a couple of minutes before adding a glass of white wine and stirring over a low/medium heat until evaporated. Start adding your hot fish stock - a ladle or two at a time - stirring often until the rice is just cooked. This should take about 20 minutes but keep tasting - if the rice is hard or gets stuck in your teeth it needs more cooking.
When the rice is just about ready add your shellfish bisque followed by half the butter.
Stir vigorously for another minute or two until you reach the right consistency - the risotto should be thick and saucy, not stodgy and sticky!
Heat your remaining butter in another pan with the thinly sliced chilli, crab meat and lemon zest. Once hot turn off and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Check your rice and crab for seasoning adding more salt, pepper or lemon as needed. Spoon your risotto into bowls. Top with the spicy, buttery crab. Finish with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a scattering of parsley leaves and fennel fronds. Drizzle around your green herb oil, if using.
Optional herb oil
Whizz up your herbs and oil in a blender or nutri-bullet until you have a vibrant, uniform green colour. Strain through muslin or a clean tea towel.
Wine pairing:
A full-bodied white wine pairs perfectly with this rich risotto. We chose an elegant and not too oaky Condrieu with citrus, white flowers and rocky minerality.