This recipe for bitters comes from Rich Shih of OurCookquest. Besides the blog he has, he’s also the co-author of the book Koji Alchemy with Jeremy Umansky. They’re both guests this week on our Chefs Without Restaurants podcast. While these aren’t traditional bitters, this is a good jumping off point.
Recipe for Bitters
In Rich’s words:
“I never miss an opportunity to char fruit over screaming hot coals after I’m done grilling. The caramelization and scorched bitter bits is an unforgettable combo.
I saw clementines on the table, and flamed citrus peel immediately came to mind. I started splitting them to put on the grill, and saw a pint of flame raisins. Figuring raisins in clementine juice would bloom when intensely heated, I jammed one raisin into each segment of a few halves. Onto the grill they went.
Success! I ate one skin and all. It was a killer complex combination of flavors and textures. The raisins transformed into bursts of jelly and the skin tasted like smoky orange bitters. It was so good I couldn’t help but bang out a cocktail. I grabbed the Boston shaker and muddled a packed clementine into a Negroni. Strained it into a glass of ice, added a touch of seltzer and kicked back to enjoy.
So the next time your grill is still hot, go ahead and put any fruit on and taste what happens. As always, stay inspired and keep the ideas bouncing.”
What Do You Think?
This is a very loose interpretation of bitters, but it’s a great idea. This is how Rich tends to operate. He doesn’t always write recipes, as much as he gives you a great idea as a jumpoing off point. So, are these bitters? Do you have a favorite recipe for bitters? What would you do with these clementines? Let me know in the comments.