DIY Vermouth Recipe - The Washington Post
Spiced, a touch bitter and ever-so-slightly sweet, this Catalan-style fortified wine makes a sunset and a dish of green olives all the more exotic.
You will need a 5-quart jar with a lid and a clean, empty 750-ml bottle.
Serve over ice with an orange twist as an accompaniment to green olives, Marcona almonds and orange wedges.
To read the accompanying story, see: The best vermouth you can sip is the one you can make yourself.
While it may be sipped straight away, vermouth takes a month to fully meld flavors. The bottles can be stored for up to 3 months. Once opened, refrigerate for up to 1 month.
From cookbook author and Bring It! columnist Cathy Barrow.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement
Ingredients
measuring cupServings: 25 (makes three 750-milliliter bottles)
Directions
Step 1
Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of peel from the orange, leaving the white pith behind. (You can eat or juice the remaining orange.)
Step 2
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Swirl the pan, do not stir, and keep constant watch. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes; the resulting syrup will begin to turn a light amber color. Add the strips of orange peel, continuing to cook and swirl the pan as the syrup gets richly caramel-colored, for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Add the brandy to the pan. The caramel syrup will seize, in what seems like a truly terrible moment. Return the pan to the stove top and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring with a sturdy spoon as the caramel melts into the brandy. Do not let the brandy come to a boil.
Step 4
Pour the warm brandy mixture into the jar, then add the cloves, coriander and cardamom seeds, pink peppercorns, star anise, nutmeg, saffron and vanilla bean. Cover/seal the jar. Once the mixture is cooled completely, add the sherry and then close the jar again. Let this mixture steep overnight.
Step 5
The next day, strain the infused brandy and sherry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Add the 2 bottles of wine, stir well, and, for efficiency, pour the DIY vermouth mixture back into the 2 empty wine bottles plus 1 additional empty bottle. Cork or twist the caps back on and place the bottles in a dark closet for 1 month.
Story continues below advertisement
Advertisement
Nutritional Facts
Per 3-ounce serving
Calories
110
Carbohydrates
10 g
Sugar
9 g
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From cookbook author and Bring It! columnist Cathy Barrow.
Tested by Cathy Barrow.
Published September 12, 2018
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZL%2Bmr8ipnKxnlJ7GbsLEq6SoraSdfA%3D%3D