Garde Manger Caesar Cocktail
Montreal's Michelin-honoured restaurant Garde Manger developed this caesar cocktail recipe on the opening night. The recipe is straight-forward, and the garnish is a snow crab claw.
Ingredients
Celeriac Rim
- small celeriac (celery root) trimmed, peeled, and grated finely (roughly 2 cups/480 ml, loosely packed)
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried garlic flakes
- 1 tbsp dill seed slightly crushed
- 1 tbsp coriander seed slightly crushed
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
Garnish
- 1 snow crab leg or claw thawed overnight in the refrigerator (see note)
- 1 lemon wedge
Cocktail
- tbsp Celeriac Rim
- 1 lemon wedge
- 45 ml vodka
- 180 ml Caesar mix mild
- 1 tsp horseradish freshly grated
- ¼ oz olive brine
- 3-4 dashes Chuck Hughes Jalapeño Hot Sauce (see note)
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Celeriac Rim
- Preheat your oven to 200°F (95°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until the celeriac is well incorporated with the dried spices.
- Spread the rim spice mixture evenly across the prepared baking sheet. Dry out in the oven until the mixture is completely dry and brittle, 5 to 6 hours. (This is done to dry out the wet celery root and infuse the other spice flavours. The end result is delicious and worth the effort.)
- Let cool and crush to the consistency of coarse sand with a mortar and pestle.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in your pantry for up to 6 months.
Cocktail
- Pour the rim spice onto a small plate. Circle the rim of your glass with the lemon wedge, then roll the rim in the rim spice.
- Pour the vodka, Caesar mix, horseradish, olive brine, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into a cocktail shaker (or other mixing vessel). Fill the shaker with ice to just above the top of the liquid and stir with a bar spoon until the outside of the shaker is very cold to the touch.
- Fill the rimmed glass three-quarters full with fresh cubed ice. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass and top with additional ice if desired. Garnish with the snow crab leg (or claw) and the remaining lemon wedge.
Garnish
- Carefully run a sharp paring knife through one side of the snow crab leg or claw to score the shell and allow easier access to the meat. Garde Manger serves its Caesar with crab crackers and forks. Guests are expected to work for it!
Notes
1) The hot sauce in this recipe is Chuck Hughes’ own brand. You can find it online and at specialty grocers. It’s similar in style to green Tabasco.
2) In Canada, snow crabs are typically caught, cooked, and blast frozen right on the boat to preserve their freshness. Look for them at your local fishmonger or in the seafood section of your grocery store. In a pinch, you can thaw the crab quickly by running it under cold water for 20 minutes.