They say the way to one’s heart is through the stomach! And it’s a principle we hold dear here at Angostura® aromatic bitters.
To help you win over the heart of your nearest and dearest, Angostura® aromatic bitters have a list of red-themed recipes that will without a doubt show your special person how much you appreciate them. They’re all easy to do right at home, so grab a few candles and rose petals for your very own Valentine’s Day dining experience with your favourite person and your favourite essential ingredient, Angostura® aromatic bitters.
Rose-Coloured Glass
Ingredients
- 4 dashes Angostura® aromatic bitters
- 22ml lemon juice
- 30ml simple syrup
- Rosé sparkling wine
- Red rose petals, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the Angostura® aromatic bitters, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker with ice and shake.
- Strain into a coupe glass and top with the rosé sparkling wine.
- Finish it off by garnish with your red rose petals for extra love and enjoy!
Pomegranate Negroni
Ingredients
- 200ml pure pomegranate juice
- 2 tsp cherry concentrate*
- Ice cubes
- 3 dashes of Angostura® aromatic bitters
- Twist of orange peel
Instructions
- Pour the pomegranate juice and cherry concentrate into a glass of ice, then stir well before adding in the Angostura® aromatic bitters. The drink should have a bitter-sweet tang, so add more Angostura® aromatic bitters if needed.
- Twist the orange peel on top of the glass to release the oils. Cheer!
Cherry Concentrate*
Ingredients
- 450g tart cherries
- 2 cups water
- 225g sugar
Instructions
- Wash and clean the tart cherries, and remove the stems, leaving the pits. Combine the water and cherries in a deep pot and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 20 minutes and then drain through a fine-mesh strainer pressing the fruit to release and the juices. Pour the drained juice back into the pot and add the sugar.
- Simmer for 10 more minutes, until the sugar (or sweetener) has dissolved. Pour into glass bottles and seal.
For dinner:
Tomato & Roasted Strawberry Salad with Miso Dressing (Serves 2)
By Vusi Ndlovu, chef and founder of The African Culinary Library
Ingredients
FOR TOMATO SALAD:
- 500g heirloom tomatoes quartered
- 15g garlic cloves crushed
- 8g thyme
- 25g sugar
- 13g salt
- 4 dashes of Angostura® aromatic bitters
- ¼ of a chili
ROASTED STRAWBERRIES:
- 250g plump strawberries cut in half
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- salt to taste
- 2 dashes of Angostura® aromatic bitters
- Black pepper, to taste
MISO DRESSING:
- 3 Tbsp yellow miso
- Water, to loosen the miso
- Honey, to taste
- 100ml canola oil
- Lemon, to taste
GARNISH (optional)
- Shop bought meringues
- Garden cress
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 120°C. Mix all the tomato salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and allow to marinate for 45 minutes. S
- Split half the tomatoes into two different bowls. Place one bowl of tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, proceed to make the miso dressing. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. On an open flame lightly burn the strawberries until charred, season with black pepper and put aside. Once the tomatoes in the oven are slightly dehydrated, assemble the salad by mixing the dehydrated tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and grilled strawberries on a platter. Dress with miso dressing. Crumble meringues over the salad and garnish with garden cress and add a few splashes of Angostura® aromatic bitters for extra measure.
Angostura® Aromatic Bitters & Cherry Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 110g semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 110g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and levelled)
- 30ml Angostura® aromatic bitters
- 1 cup Maraschino cherries (syrup drained off as much as possible)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°C. Spray a 20cm square baking tray with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom and sides of the tray with baking or wax paper.
- Mix flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently until almost melted.
- Remove from heat and stir further until completely melted. Whisk in sugar until smooth, add the Angostura® aromatic bitters and stir in to combine. Whisk in the eggs and fold in the cherries. Gently whisk in the flour mixture until smooth (do not overmix).
- Spread batter evenly in a prepared tray. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (they should form a ball when rolled between your fingers), or for about 50 – 55 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely in the tray. Cut into squares (this is much easier to do with these brownies if you stick them in the freezer after they have cooled slightly for about 20 minutes).
- Serve with ice cream or on its own!
