This is officially the beginning of my campaign to get area bars to use blood oranges in their cocktails. The bumper stickers are at the printer.
Blood oranges -- which will likely be available for another month or so -- are bright and sweet with a hint of tartness when they're ripe. When balanced with another citrus or herb flavor, they can form the foundation of a memorable cocktail -- the kind that makes you want to drink until you forget.
A ripe blood orange explodes with juice, like red wine when a cork's pushed into the bottle. It can leave the same telltale stains, so bartenders will need to juice the oranges before the start of cocktail hour.
Blood oranges can be used to infuse tequila for a blood orange jalapeno margarita. You can also make a blood orange margarita with blood orange juice, lime juice, Cointreau and tequila.
If you've heard of the California or Stone Sour you've probably been to bartending school. But the Jacknife Sour -- a version of that drink with applejack, blood oranges, honey tangerine bitters and simple syrup -- sounds appealing. A more straightforward drink would be the blood orange mimosa, which has the pleasant color and bubbles of a more vibrant orange soda.
Blood oranges have a brightness that makes them work especially well with vodka -- they'll give the drink a nice rush of sweetness without the hit of acid. Something like the Thai Basil Blood Orange Martini will offer clean, interesting flavors and could be easily served before or after dinner -- you'll need an hour to steep the Thai basil in the vodka.
For non-bartenders who want something to pair with a cocktail or just to take advantage of blood oranges in cooking, here's a recipe for a blood orange and balsamic glazed shallot tarte -- it sounds like a tremendous mix of savory and sweet.
If you need further advice, look to Christopher Elbow, who was featuring blood oranges as part of his mix of pate de fruit (fruit jellies) flavors when I moved to Kansas City several years ago. It was a bright square of flavor that I still haven't forgotten.
like
dislike
