Whether you’re going away or enjoying an easter staycation, you’ll want a hearty lunch planned out for your friends and family – plus, it’ll be time for a cocktail.
And ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters is not only the ingredient to elevate your drink game, but it also adds dimension and spice to any dish.
With a little bit of planning, these delicious Easter recipes will be a definite crowd-pleaser, whether you are spending it inside or by the braai.
The welcome drink:
(Makes approximately 16 serves)
When you have an occasion that will see you welcoming more than one guest, you don’t want to spend the entire time shaking up cocktails. That is why a batch-style cocktail like the Bourbon Punch with Pink Grapefruit and Mint is your friend.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of water
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 15 fresh mint sprigs
- 1l freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, strained
- 750ml bourbon whiskey
- 12 dashes ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Club soda
- Extra fresh mint, for garnish
In a small saucepan over a low heat, combine the water and sugar and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Increase the heat and once your sugar syrup is at the boil, add five mint sprigs. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave it to cool down completely. Once cool, strain the sugar syrup mixture into a large serving jug. Add the grapefruit juice, bourbon, and ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters and finish it off with 10 mint sprigs. Set it aside in the fridge to chill over several hours or overnight. When your guests are about to arrive, add
ice to your punch bowl. Strain your grapefruit and bourbon mixture and add it to your bowl. When you are ready to pour for your guest, fill their glass with ice if needed, pour in approximately 3/4 full of your grapefruit and bourbon mixture and top with chilled soda and stir. End it with mint leaves and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Creative Culinary
The appetiser:
(Makes 8 portions of 5 prawns each)
While your visitors are sipping on their punch, wow them with these perfectly grilled Lemon Garlic Prawns.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- The zest of one large lemon
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 Tbsp ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
- 1kg large prawns with tails on, approximately 21/25
- 8 (25cm) skewers
- Lemon slices, for garnish
In a non-metallic bowl, combine all your ingredients, except the prawns and skewers, and stir well. Peel and devein the prawns while leaving the tails on. Add the cleaned prawns to your marinade and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and leave it to refrigerate for an hour and a half. Start your fire*. While you wait for your fire to cool to a medium heat, drain the prawns and thread them on the skewers. When your fire is just right, place the skewers on your grill and flip once halfway. Your prawns are ready once the entire body turns a beautiful orange pink; this should take about 5 minutes. Serve with lemon slices.
*If the weather doesn’t allow for a fire, instead, heat the oven grill. Place prawns on top of a large sheet tray and grill for 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.
The Mains
(Serves 4)
The star of the day though must be the delicious Spatchcock Herb Roasted Chicken with Angostura. Best served with your favourite potato salad and veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 11/2 Tbsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp garlic, crushed
- ⅔ cup fresh herbs, chopped
- 4-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
- 1 whole lemon, juiced
After removing the giblets, butterfly your chicken by removing the backbone and opening the chicken flat. Or, if you prefer, you can ask your local butcher to spatchcock it when purchasing. In a bowl, mix your salt and pepper, garlic, herbs, olive oil, ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters and lemon juice. Cover both sides of your chicken with the mixture, making sure to get it under the skin as well. Add a few extra dashes of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters for colour and flavour before leaving it in the fridge overnight to marinade. When you are ready, light the fire* and, once your coals are ready, braai the chicken bone-side-down for 10 minutes. Flip it over every 10 minutes until it is completely cooked, basting as needed.
*If you can’t braai, then pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the chicken skin-side up on a baking rack over a large sheet tray and leave to roast for 30 minutes. Flip it over and cook it for another 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Dessert
(Serves 8)
There’s nothing as simple, while at the same time impressive, as homemade ice cream and Angostura.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1l milk
- 500ml heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
Whisk the egg and add the sugar gradually. In a saucepan, mix milk and cream, and heat to boiling point. Gently, whisk a bit of the hot liquid into the egg mixture and then add to the saucepan. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens slightly, this should take about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t boil. If you do get lumps, don’t panic, just strain the mixture to remove them. Leave the mixture aside to allow it to cool to room temperature and then stir in the ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters. If you have an ice cream maker, follow the manufacturer’s directions. For the freezer method though, pour the mixture into shallow trays and freeze until half frozen. Then, transfer the half-frozen ice cream into a bowl and whisk it until creamy before returning it to the freezer to leave until firm.
Coffee
(Makes 2 cocktails)
After plenty of eating and drinking, you’ll want something warm and indulgent to end off the meal. That’s where Kurt Schlechter’s Coffee Flip comes in handy.
Ingredients
- 50ml espresso
- 20ml sweet sherry
- 20ml demerara sugar
- 2 eggs
- 20ml ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
Shake together all ingredients except the ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters. Strain mix into two martini glasses, and then float ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters on top to taste.
With its cinnamon and spice notes, ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters is the perfect ingredient for your Easter lunch or long-weekend braai – whether in your drink or on your dishes.
For more information on the Angostura range and delicious food and cocktail recipes please visit www.angosturabitters.com.
