We all know gin goes well in a glass with tonic and ice – but what about in a casserole or a salad dressing? Gin lovers, it’s time to open your eyes to the spirit’s potential in the kitchen, as well as behind the bar. For those of you who are well-versed with the ginassance, you would know nothing compares to a delicious G&T. But as the world moves towards making gin a staple, we can even cook with gin – it doesn’t have to be reserved for tonic alone! Yes, it’s time to move over, dishes made with a wine reduction and cognac. Gin has made a significant comeback recently, inspiring an increasingly popular trend dubbed ginstronomy, which refers to the art of gin-and-tonic food pairings to create a satisfying gastronomic experience. Be it sweet, savoury or a delectable sauce, chefs across the world have leaned towards the spirit to whip up dishes. “With all of gin’s complex flavour, numerous botanicals and BY ARUSHI SAKHUJA How to cook with gin From cake to pasta, poultry and beyond, we’ve found a few ingenious ways to incorporate gin beyond a regular G&T. versatility, gin makes an excellent cooking ingredient. It is flavoured with Juniper berries, orange peels, coriander seeds and distilled in a pot which gives it a unique flavour which can be used for cooking and baking. Gin can be used to cook savoury dishes like pasta, fish and poultry and desserts which can include anything baked to mousses to iced treats. It can be added to preserves like savoury pickles and sweet jams,” said Chef Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Dhansoo café, Gurugram. The white spirit can be used to make a variety of dishes like Gin Gingered Prawn, Gin Penne Pasta, Gin and Tonic Cake, Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream, Gin-Cured Ocean trout, cheesecake, and even oysters amongst many other. But what better than a Gin and tonic tart? It’s your favourite cocktail, turned into a creamy custard and encased in pastry! Gin is flavoured with juniper berries, orange peels, and coriander seeds, and distilled in a pot still. Because of its unique flavour complex profile, there are many ways to use it for cooking or baking. Contrary to what you may have believed, Gin makes for an excellent cooking ingredient. The ingredient is flavourful and is a go-to when you want to add a bit of herbal, floral flavours to your dish. Think of it this way; if you’re making a stew, you add herbs and spices, which complement each other and create a delicious flavour. Similarly, with Gin, the botanicals work with the grain spirit to give ready-made complex flavours. “From white meats to certain desserts Gin adds that extra touch when used in a dish,” said Koli. He further continued giving us an insight to the menu at SAGA…“we work with a permutation and combination of many ingredients to innovate and create a palate pleasing experience for our guests. I use Gin in three dishes, Chicken Tikka Pie, the chicken tikka masala works beautifully with gins that have notes of cardamom and clove; the Grilled Salmon, and Chenna Pinni Toast which is SAGA’s take on classic dessert chenna toast which can be jelled with an all-time favourite gin by soaking chenna toast in a gin and sugar syrup infusion.” How to cook with Gin “Gin is a wonder to work with in certain recipes and is often overlooked. The botanicals and grains in the gin work magic and add complex, intricate flavours,” shares Chef Kush Koli, Head Chef, SAGA, Gurugram. Cooking fish with gin is a very old tradition in the UK and a famous dish is the Gin-soaked Salmon. Gin has so many Chef Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Dhansoo café, Gurugram 30|LUXEBOOK|JUNE 2023 JUNE 2023 |LUXEBOOK|31 GIN AND FOOD
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