Bombay Club Original Dry Martini

At 830 Rue Conti, in the New Orleans French Quarter there sits an elegant little place, with a pristine and cozy bar. On that bar one can expect cocktails of extraordinary measure. One such is made up of their recipe for the “Original Dry Martini”.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz top shelf Gin
1.5 oz Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Blanc
1 dash of Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6. If you can’t locate that, try Angostura Orange Bitters.
Lemon twist for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
I suggest you do not bruise that top shelf gin by blending or shaking. Prepare in a bar cup and stir gently. Add an ice cube to chill, but hold the ice back with a strainer when poured. Twist the lemon rind for a soft mist of lemon oil across the top. Enjoy.

Attributed to: The great city of New Orleans.

The Kentucky Not Brown (FJ Style – cooked on the grill)

Winston’s Restaurant in Louisville is a favorite stop when haunting the environs around that annual event called the Kentucky Derby. This recipe is a variation on the one served from under a broiler. I designed it to cook from the bottom up using a black bottomed skillet directly on the grill. Similar to the original recipe for the Hot Brown, note the seafood switch from turkey.

 
2 servings
 
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole milk
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large shrimp with the tail on
2 thick cut fried green tomatoes
2 Tablespoons cooked and shredded crab
2 Tablespoons steamed spinach
4 slices of cooked bacon
2 large slices of Texas Toast or thick French bread. Toasted lightly.
 
DIRECTIONS:
For (2) servings of Not Browns on the Grill start by prepping a mornay sauce. In a 2-quart saucepan, Melt butter over low heat. Add flour. Cook over low heat whisking constantly for no longer than 3 minutes. Add milk continually while whisking. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce to low heat. Allow the mornay to gently simmer. Whisk occasionally for about 10 minutes.
 
Remove from heat. Fold in the Gruyere until it is melted. Stir in salt and pepper. Lastly add nutmeg.
 
For each Not Brown, place a slice of bread in a black bottomed skillet. Cover with shredded crab. Top this with spinach. Cross with two slices of cooked bacon. Add the slab of fried green tomato. Pour mornay sauce over each Not Brown. Crown with cooked shrimp. You can leave the shrimp off and add after bringing the sandwich up to a suitable heat for serving.
 
Set on top of a hot grill. Cover, and cook until sauce bubbles and the entire stack is hot. Watch the shrimp so it doesn’t over cook, or leave it off and add just before serving.
 
Attributed to: John Castro’s version at Winston’s Restaurant in Louisville Kentucky.

Hot Brown (traditional)

At Churchill Downs for the 142 running of the Kentucky Derby this year, I was entrusted with so many variations on the traditional Hot Brown that I initially found it hard to believe. Although it can be cooked on a grill with a quality skillet, it is best under a broiler. Highly suggested as a late night snack or better at breakfast in the early hours of the day when those who call themselves your guests are still around. Here then is what locals call “the Louisville alternative to late night ham and eggs”.

INGREDIENTS:
1 – 1/2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 – 1/2 Tablespoons of salted butter
1 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 pound roasted turkey breast. Slice thick.
4 slices of Texas toast. No crusts and cut diagonally in half
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half (lengthwise)
Paprika to dust over the top
Parsley lightly chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Grab a 2 quart saucepan. Melt butter. Slowly whisk in flour until it becomes the consistency of a roux or like thick paste. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes on medium – low heat, stirring frequently.

Whisk in heavy cream and continue to cook over medium heat until simmering, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in the Romano cheese. Whisk until very smooth. Add nutmeg and then salt and pepper to your taste.

For each Hot Brown; place two halves of one slice of toast into a skillet or oven proof dish cover with one half of the turkey slices. Take two halves of the tomato and two of the diagonal corners of toast and set them along side the first piece of toast. Cover by pouring half the sauce over everything. Sprinkle with more grated Romano.

Place both dishes (or one at a time) beneath a broiler just until the cheese begins to melt and bubble up. When the cheese gets brown a bit, remove and cross the top with two pieces of cooked crispy bacon. Dust with paprika and also top with fresh parsley.

Suitable for the late evening or early morning hours.

Attributed to: Nyquist, Number 13. Winner of the 142nd Kentucky Derby.

Royal Raspberry (cocktail)

While on a recent trip to New Orleans, I was reminded to visit an excellent little eatery and watering hole. The Bombay Club exists at 830 Rue Conti, the North West area of the Quarter. This recipe is for a cocktail accented with fresh raspberries and makes an aperitif quite suitable for any grilled dish. I added my own variation of course.

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 1/2 oz Bombay Gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz of Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
1 egg white
6 to 8 fresh raspberries
Large raspberry pierced (with a toothpick or olive spear) and balanced on the rim.
DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients into a bar mixer cup, cap and shake. Or make a larger quantity and tap blend in a mixer. Serve to the delight of your guests.

Attributed to:  The Bombay Club