Pineapple and Sage Martini

This recipe from the Nopi cookbook by the venerable London chefs Yatem Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully (of the restaurant of the same name, which I’ve been fortunate to visit), manages to bring together some of my favourite flavours in pineapple, sage, gin and cardamom. Like the food recipes in the book, this cocktail creation is not a quickie. That said, once in a c0ld glass, it’s well worth the effort.

This is a true summer drink and as such is meant for a hot patio. The work involved makes it more appropriate for a group so start earlier in the day as the pineapple and gin infusion take three hours to complete. Everything must cool fully as well. The roasted pineapple puree can be frozen as you will be left with way more than you need.

There’s a lot going in this drink, including the exotic caradamom, the intense and strange roasted pineapple and the warmth of sage and clove. Your guests will undoubtedly be very impressed.

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
2. Fine-strain into chilled, small martini glasses.
3. Garnish with the sage leaf.

Clove Syrup

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

Add 1 cup of superfine sugar and stir until dissolved.

Gently simmer 4 cloves in the covered mixture for ten minutes.

Strain cloves from syrup.

Add an ounce of vodka, stir and then store in the fridge for up to a month.

Infused Gin

Add 3 ½ oz of London Dry gin to a small Mason jar with one pod of cardamom gently ground in a mortar of pestle and 4 ripped sage leaves.

Infuse for at least 3 hours by swirling contents every half hour or so.

Fine-strain once infused.

Roasted Pineapple Puree

Cut the leaves off a pineapple and wrap in foil.

Bake at 390 F for 3 hours.

Let pineapple come to room temperature and then cut into quarters. Remove pithy core and skin.

Puree in a blender.