Politics aside, many great things come from the beautiful island of Cuba. Cigars, salsa dancing, William Levy... and mojitos! So since CT is experiencing quite the heat wave these last few weeks, we decided we needed to throw a little Caribbean infusion into our dinner. Nothing like an ice cold mojito to counter those hot Havana nights...
Cocktail - The Mojito
Take about 12 mint leaves and half of a lime (sliced/diced/whatever)... muddle the heck out of it at the bottom of your glass. You want to release the oils from the mint. Add ice. Then add simple syrup (to your taste), white rum, and club soda. This drink can be altered and can be adjusted to your preference. We actually used a ginger simple syrup just for a little extra kick and that was fantastic. The slight bite of the ginger countered extremely well with the mint and the lime. Go have fun with this one - you really can't mess it up!
Appetizer - Shrimp with Garlicky Cuban Mojo
Why in the world have we always been sticking to shrimp cocktail?!?! This is the NEW shrimp cocktail for us! Grilling the shrimp is fantastic (I'm sure they'd be just as good on the stovetop.) But its the combination of simply lime juice, orange juice, and a ton of garlic that is divine. This will be the new signature dish when entertaining friends.
Appetizer Wine - 2011 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose
Wine Enthusiast - 87/100
This South African Rose may be our favorite yet! It was a gift from a neighbor a couple of weeks back, and it had just been sitting by its lonesome in the wine cooler. It is a bright pink with intense aromas of tangerine, raspberries, and strawberries. It has wonderful tastes of bright fruits, pomegranate, and even a slight herbal or spice on the end. No oakiness, and not as sweet as a zinfandel. Superb Rose.
Entree - Cuban Skirt Steak with Tomato Escabeche and Mango Steak Sauce
Love this dish! Skirt steak is a cut that must be marinated and then cooked quickly. We marinated overnight and it literally took 2.5 minutes per side on the gas grill. The BBQ sauce was made a day in advance, and took very little effort. (Throw everything in a blender - simple.) The tomato escabeche was somewhat like a salsa and was made as we were grilling everything else... in the end, a simple recipe! And the flavors were fantastic together! Add some spanish rice and fried plantains and there you go!
Side Dish - Fried Plantains
We didn't make the sauce, but these were fantastic! The minced garlic and salt is a must for great flavor. (I would recommend kosher salt or sea salt.) We will be making these more often... even just as something to pick on when people are over for a mid-week bbq!
Entree Wine - 2007 Mas Cal Demoura Coteaux du Languedoc L'Infidele
Wine Advocate - 87/100
And the Harry's team does it again! This French red is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault. It had dark red fruits on the nose with tastes of plum, cherry, dark chocolate and a slight spice. It had very smooth tannins and drank perfectly with the steak! Fantastic wine!
Dessert - Rum Cakes
The rum cakes were fabulous! (One broke while I was getting it out of the pan and I did eat the whole thing in seconds.) We baked these in mini bundt cake molds, so it took about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. We opted to make a raspberry whipped cream for an extra punch of flavor. As a whole - this dessert was fantastic! The rum and the banana liquer really added something to the dish, and the cake ended up being very moist! So yummy!
Next Week - The All-American BBQ (kicked up a notch)
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