The Aperitif Guy

I am pleased to be a brand ambassador for Geo Watkins sauces. I've been using their Anchovy Sauce since the days when it was called Anchovy Essence, and the Mushroom Ketchup for almost as long. When the opportunity came along, I jumped at it, because I really enjoy using their products. Full disclosure here: Geo Watkins have gifted me several bottles of each sauce, but my enthusiasm for them came first. Both mushrooms and anchovies are high in umami - that mysterious savoury experience that makes so many things taste better. Other things that are high in umami are parmesan, veal stock (when made from real veal bones), miso and yeast. It's not surprising that chefs have been using these things for centuries to enhance their dishes. The labelling on the Geo Watkins sauces pays tribute to their origin in the reign of William IV. That doesn't mean, of course, that they're only useful for traditional dishes. A few months ago I tried a little experiment with modern, Japanese-...

Every now and again, my imagination crashes. Just like when your computer does it, it freezes half way through a task and refuses to get going again, no matter what I do to try to re-engage it. It happened to me last week when I wanted to plan this post. Nothing. You may have noticed it, not sitting there at the foot of the page. No "next time..." Usually, by the time I'm posting a piece, I know what I want to write about next time. I might struggle to get the words together in the right order, but I'll have a fairly clear idea of what I want to say. This was different; I didn't have a clue what I wanted to write. I started to feel some solidarity with Old Mother Hubbard, staring into the cavernous void of her nursery-rhyme larder and finding only anxiety about what to do next. Entertaining can be a bit like that, too. You've invited friends over and you're deciding what to serve, but nothing seems quite right. One thing's a bit heavy for the season, a...

This time last year, I wrote about living in France as a young man and discovering aperitif culture. ( http://blog.theaperitifguy.co.uk/2018/10/doing-it-la-francaise.html ) I wrote how it was something very different from what I was used to at home and that I have tried to make the aperitif pause before dinner a feature of my own life. In the last few years, I've travelled more regularly in Italy and other countries. I've had a couple of short breaks in Paris, but that's all. With those breaks being so short, I've spoken very little French and not taken time to find really good restaurants, the way I have in other countries. For much of that same time, it would be also fair to say that French cuisine has taken a break from leading the world. The really exciting restaurants have been over the Pyrenees, in Catalunya and Basque Spain. Restaurants in Scandinavia have been getting better and better, too, delivering exciting flavours by using traditional techniques of...

Our friend Chris, with whom I cook regularly and dine almost weekly, has a serious allergy to any seafood. Rather than risk killing a dear friend, I’ve learnt to avoid fish products in my aperitif foods. However, when he's not dining with us, I love to go all out with a full spread of fishy nibbles. Pintxos Gilda I think it was Escoffier who advised to serve all fish or no fish at all on canap és. I wouldn’t be so strict as that, but it does seem to make some sense. I can’t imagine potted crab or smoked salmon tasting right alongside cured beef or chicken liver parfait. A mix of fish and vegetable dishes can work beautifully, though. The advantage of serving a selection comprised only of seafood dishes, of course, is that you know for certain they’re going to complement each other. Octopus on chicory leaves and bottarga eggs When deciding what to serve, think about balances and contrasts. Try mixing two fish and one shellfish or one smoked, one soused and one ...

And so we come to the mighty, magnificent Martini. Image: C Dixon While other cocktails have come and gone in popularity, the Martini remains the epitome of cool. Undoubtedly, James Bond and the Madmen TV series have helped, but the creators of those fictions have borrowed the Martini’s chachet to present their character as sophisticated (or not: see below). Presented in the perfect cone of a classic Windsor Martini glass, it is cold, clean, clear and strong, requiring only a green olive for garnish. A well-made, well presented Martini draws attention by not seeking it. As an aperitif, the Martini will not be to everyone’s taste. It’s virtually pure gin, of course, so some will find it overly strong. The secret to making such a strong drink palatable is in the mixing, but for those who dislike neat spirit, I’ve suggested some lighter alternatives below. With something this strong, you’re going to need to be careful about the number and timing of your aperi...