Flavour nugget #8: clementine spicy margaritas
How to make dried citrus salt + merry Christmas!
I’m willing to bet you’ll need this cocktail over the festive season.
Why? Because we’re about to embark - if we haven’t already - on an assault of the tastebuds. A pleasurable bombardment. Pastry, cheese, chocolate, trifle and an endless assortment of ‘picky bits’. We revel in it, immersing ourselves in a plunge pool of festive flavours and leftovers reimagined. A jubilant drenching that leaves tastebuds, inevitably, needing a factory reset.
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This festive onslaught is akin to the ‘palate fatigue’ experienced by people who taste lots of wine - at the end of a particularly long tasting, all they want is a beer. They crave the aggressive carbonation and the sting of bitter hops to re-awaken their mouths.
So, once you’re done with that dusty bottle of Bailey’s for another year, may I suggest it’s time to knock up a spicy marg? The pleasant prick of spice and shower of citrus is just what you’ll need to kick that flabby palate back into action.
When did spicy margs take over? The mid-2000’s in the US apparently, which seems to ring true in my memory (as if that’s a reliable fact-checking source, lol). They were then popularised here thanks to the cult status of Soho House's ‘Picante’ - a drink so feverishly consumed and marketed it even has its own website.
This iteration is a spicy marg with a festive touch of clementine, but the real nugget is the Clementine, Lime and Chilli Salt. It’s incredibly easy (and fast) to dry out grated citrus peels in the oven (Six! Minutes! Only!), which makes them perfect for combining with salt and chilli to use as a seasoning (or to rim a cocktail glass). This is a much better alternative than fresh zest which is too pungently oily for this purpose and will spoil.
I’d suggest this cocktail for any moment during your holidays - this is a non-judgmental space - but NYE does seem to present itself as a salient moment on the horizon. Me? I’ve been knocking them back since the 20th.
Some other uses for the Clementine, Lime and Chilli Salt
You should 100% be dusting this over fresh fruit as you would Tajín. Don’t know Tajín? It’s a Mexican condiment with chilli and dried lime often served over fresh mango or pineapple. Perfection!
Dust over any smoked salmon bagel situation that may come your way.
Anyone having roast duck for their Christmas dinner? You know what to do, Santa Salt Bae.
Use it in a rub for chicken or pork. Or, TURKEY!
Sprinkle over chocolate brownies or mousse for a fun, spicy choc-orange vibe.
Use in dressings for bitter-leaf salads.
The spice level of this will depend on the heat of your chilli, of course! Jalapeños tend to be fairly hot as standard, while your regular green chillies vary wildly.
Clementine Spicy Margaritas
Makes 4 (easily halved or doubled)
200ml tequila
100ml Cointreau (you can also use regular triple sec here, obviously - Cointreau is a brand of triple sec)
150ml clementine juice
50ml lime juice
1 jalapeño or green chilli, finely sliced with 4 slices reserved for garnish
Ice
Clementine, Lime and Chilli Salt
Zest of 3 clementines
Zest of 1 lime and its wedges for rubbing the glasses
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon mild chilli flakes such as pul biber, Aleppo pepper or gochugaru (if you don’t have any mild chilli flakes, use some lightly crushed regular chilli flakes or some chilli powder, adding cautiously until you’re happy with the spice level.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan).
Place the zests on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 3 minutes. Give the tray a shake about to separate any big clumps then return to the oven for another 3 minutes, or until dried out.
Allow to cool, then combine with the salt and chilli flakes.
Rim your glasses by scattering the salt mixture over a plate and rubbing the rim of each glass with a wedge of lime.
Dunk each glass upside down into the salt until the rim is covered to your liking.
To make the cocktail, combine half the clementine and lime juice and half the jalapeño slices in a cocktail shaker and muddle together - give it some welly to really break down the chilli. You’re using half quantities here as most cocktail shakers won’t accommodate 4 drinks at once.
Add half the remaining ingredients along with a few cubes of ice and shake until the outside is cold and starts to bead up.
Fill the glasses with a few cubes of ice and strain the cocktail over two of them, then repeat the method to make the final two drinks.
Tajín is a lifestyle - The New York Times.
A nice little stroll through the world of orange liqueurs from Serious Eats.
Would you eat leftover food from a stranger’s plate? (Vice).
ARE YOU ‘LEFTOVERS READY’? Allow me:
One of the most popular recipes I’ve ever written: Brussels sprout kimchi.
Make this fast, easy and silly-good focaccia for your leftovers sandwiches!
Whack it all into a mad croque monsieur.
This roast potato and Brussels sprout Caesar salad is excellent.
Use up your odds and ends of cheese in these super cheesy stuffed pasta shells.
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Until next time, Flavour Fans x
Making these RIGHT NOW