Used correctly, fire can entice and enhance flavors that do not exist without it. In this episode Jamie uses a flame to caramelize the oils and sugars expressed from the rind of and orange imparting a whole new dimension of flavor to the cocktail.
Recipe
Comments
For someone who’s a non-smoker, non-professional-bartender, an alternative to owning a lighter is to use a toothpick lit on a candle.
I find the toothpick vastly preferable to the use of a match because it avoids all the smells & flavors the match chemicals add.
Jamie,
Thanks for pointing out that the zest needs to be pre-warmed before flaming! This helps achieve the desired effect readily.
Would there ever be a time when you might add the zest to the drink post flaming?
Also, the tool I’ve found to cut awesome orange peel zests is a German made potato peeler like this: http://www.legourmetchef.com/Temp_Products.cfm?sku=03041504
It creates the perfect lemon peel for a Brandy Crusta as well.
Cheers!
Blair Frodelius
http://goodspiritsnews.spaces.live.com
Warming the peel from the inside works well for me…that way the oils are released from the inside and not burnt until expressed.
Can anyone tell me a drink in which flamed orange zest would be appealing? I am a huge “Old Fashioned” fan. It is my nightly cocktail. I have never gone the extra step of flaming the orange zest. Is this a cocktail that would usually get a flamed orange zest, or would I be deviling tradition?
Of course one of the most noteable “flamed orange peel” cocktails would be the “Flame Of Love”, a drink created for Dean Martin at Chasen’s in Hollywood. You can read more about it here: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/flame-of-love.html
Using a flamed orange peel for an Old Fashioned is non-traditional, but then so is the muddled orange that so many other bartenders use. I’ve been trying to promote the use of a flamed orange peel just so as to provide incentive for not doing the muddled orange mess.
Jamie, what kind of lighter do you use? It looks like an old Jet lighter, I hate using matches and I feel that if I were to use my Zippo I would have no choice but to sack myself. Excellent stuff here.
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