The Journey is a magnificent celebration of Naqiyah Mayat’s preserving the art of Indian cooking while embracing her own culinary style. Gloriously illustrated, it opens with Date Buns through to the most delish Lamb Mince Flatbreads and Butter Chicken Naan to this impressive Chai-spiced Citrus Bloom. Penguin Books
Chai-spiced Citrus Bloom
‘The intriguing flavours and fragrances of Eid Day have an emotional connection; almost a nostalgic tie. The heavily imbued fragrance of lightly toasted saffron being stirred into Eid milk or the aroma that you get when you peel back the covering of biryani that’s been steaming, or how the smoke from grilling prawns fills the kitchen before dinnertime. I wanted to capture these fragrances in a drink and present the ideal cooler for your Eid lunch table to serve alongside a fiery biryani. Light the rosemary in front of your guests to elevate the sensory experience.’ Serves 6.
You’ll need: 1 cup boiling water, 2 star anise, 1 x 5-cm length cinnamon stick, 5 – 8 cardamom pods, 4 whole cloves, grated rind of 1 orange, 1 cup sugar, a few pink peppercorns, lightly crushed, 3 cups ice cubes, 1 1/2 cups coconut water, 1 bottle (1–2 litres) ginger ale, dehydrated orange slices to garnish, and 6 sprigs fresh rosemary.
To make: Pour the water into a mug and add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and orange rind. Leave to infuse for 1 hour.
Place the sugar and infused water with the whole spices in a small pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup for 10 minutes until the flavours are well combined. Remove from the heat and strain the syrup.
Place the crushed pink peppercorns on a small plate. Using some of the syrup, brush the rims of your glasses and dip them into the peppercorns.
Add 1/2 cup of ice cubes to each glass. Add 1 tot sugar syrup to each glass. Add 2 tots coconut water and top up with ginger ale.
Garnish with dehydrated orange slices. To finish, pop 1 sprig of rosemary into each glass and light it before serving so it smokes on the way to the table.
We do love a mimosa. And when we find one that’s 100 per cent orange-concentrate, no added sugar, flavourings or colourants, exuberant with a Sauvignon Blanc-based sparkling wine and in a convenient can … Well. The joy! Nuy Mimosa orange-flavoured sparkling spritzer is Nuy Winery’s first drink in a can …. it’s light, lively, playful, with 5 per cent alcohol, and is fabulous to drink at any time of day.
Keep a couple of cans in the fridge and pop into a cooler box when you’re off to a braai, a picnic, or simply heading to your patio for brunch. Enjoy it well chilled straight from the can, or serve it in a glass with a slice of orange or a sprig of rosemary for a simple but elegant touch. R25 a can or R100 for a four-pack from nuywinery.co.za
Tart lemon curd. The Cock ’n Bull’s Moscow Mule. Shrimp, grapefruit and avo salad. Citrus, Illustrated by George Geary and Rebecca Hollingsworth, has 35 sweet and savoury recipes that make the most of these sweet, sharp, juicy fruits. Chronicle Books
Let’s talk sweet … Triple Three Orangecello is a sun-soaked celebration of citrus. Crafted with organic, untreated oranges for a pure flavour, it’s intensely aromatic with the bright freshness of peeled orange, accented by hints of candied citrus and soft floral undertones, and is sweet and vibrant on the palate … think marmalade and orange blossom. Drink it ice-cold as a shot, or add a citrus twist to margaritas, negronis or martinis. For an Orangecello Spritz, pour 100ml each of Triple Three Orangecello, dry sparkling wine and tonic or soda water over ice, garnished with an orange slice.
On the tarter side, Triple Three Limoncello, inspired by the Italian tradition, is a vibrant, zesty liqueur that’s lusciously sweet but perfectly balanced by refreshing tartness. It’s perfect served ice-cold in a chilled shot glass as a digestif after a meal, or make a Limoncello Spritz Recipe – the same as the orange version, simply replace the Orangecello with Lemoncello, and garnish with a lemon slice. R210 each from triplethree.co.za
