In Good Taste: The art of the aperitif
The art of the aperitif
Ah yes…that lovely transition between the end of the day’s work and relaxing with the family, looking forward to the evening. The French have a name for it, the aperitif. This doesn’t just refer to the small glass of whatever you choose to sip on, but the occasion, where those closest to you, young and old, gather to catch up on the news of the day, relax and enjoy the last rays of sunlight. It’s not as common here as in Europe, but there’s no reason why we can’t adopt some good ideas from abroad.
In France, a meal simply wouldn’t take place without first sitting, sipping and enjoying a few salty snacks. This is to arouse the appetite and allow you some time to anticipate the meal to come; it is a daily ritual and shared by all. Young, old, rich and poor; this is a civilised time. Drinking in this country can be civilised instead of overindulgent. The aperitif is often a mild beverage, sometimes non-alcoholic, and often just one small glass is enjoyed with a simple plate of something to nibble on, often toasted salty almonds, a bowl of olives, some tapenade on small pieces of toast…palate-teasers rather than stomach-fillers.
I have made this quince brandy aperitif for some time. It’s perfect for this time of the year when you have done everything you thought possible with these hard, amber-coloured fruit, yet still have more to deal with. Quince must usually be cooked to become edible; however, this recipe involves raw grated quince, and is much easier to make if you own a grunty food processor. Grating these guys by hand isn’t much fun and could result in the need for a skin graft.
Ensure that all equipment is absolutely clean and sterilised where necessary.
Quince brandy
Peel your quince and grate. Put the seeds, cores and grated quince in a large jar. Cover and leave for three days at room temperature. They will turn a dark colour, but that’s OK.
Squeeze out all the juice into a bowl. For every cup of juice add one cup of brandy and one cup of sugar. Add one cinnamon quill and one clove. Place in a glass jar and shake to dissolve the sugar. Leave for six weeks.
Sieve through muslin and store in bottles.
This just gets better and better and is as good after dinner as before.
This next recipe is also very easy and its taste exquisite. We used to buy blackcurrants from Upper Moutere; you can however buy them frozen and freeflow from the supermarket at any time of the year. A splash of this deep-purple syrup added to a glass of champenois makes the famous aperitif called a Kir. This is also the perfect liquid to deglaze a pan after cooking venison: add some beef stock and reduce and you have a beautiful sauce.
Crème de cassis
1 kilo of blackcurrants, plus 3 or 4 blackcurrant leaves if you can find them.
1 whole clove
1 cinnamon quill
2 cups of sugar
1.2 litres (2 pints) of brandy
In a large jar combine all the ingredients and allow the fruit to macerate for one month. Turn the jar upside down occasionally during the first week to distribute the sugar.
Transfer the mixture to a fine sieve set over a bowl, and press lightly on the solids. Strain the resulting liquid a second time through dampened cheesecloth into another bowl to ensure clarity. Ladle the syrup into bottles and store in a cool place.
For a non-alcoholic drink there is nothing more refreshing than this lemon and lime number. Make sure you serve this in a nice glass, as non-alcohol drinkers must be looked after equally well.
Lemon and lime cocktail
½ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Soda water
3 tablespoons of sugar (or to taste)
Ice cubes
Fresh mint
Mix all the ingredients together and add enough soda water to taste. Serve in a beautiful glass (or jug) and stir the mint leaves through at the last moment.
Snacks can vary depending on the season. In the spring the Italians can be seen with a pile of fresh fava beans (broad beans) on their table in the sun, and they peel and eat these nutty-tasting pearls of green goodness as they sip their wine as an aperitif. In the summer months a bunch of radishes straight from the garden might be served with some unsalted butter, sea salt and a few slices of crusty bread. In the winter something warm would be welcome. Try some dried figs stuffed with a little goat’s cheese and then wrapped in a thin strip of bacon and secured with a toothpick. Grilled until crisp on the outside, these may be the perfect accompaniment. A plate with fresh dates and shavings of Parmesan is a fantastic sweet/salty combo, and makes you revel in the way good-quality ingredients speak for themselves.
If you are a whiz at choux pastry then the famous gougère is sure to impress. This is choux pastry with grated Gruyere added to it before baking, and is one of the most traditional snacks served with the aperitif in France.
Whatever you serve, make it conducive to the enjoyment of aperitifs for those you love and whose company you enjoy.
Fiona Feasey
