We’ve decided to feature a recipe from each of our Windy Level dinners, starting with our July 2nd Brugal Rum Dinner. Since that dinner featured craft cocktails by 2016 Iron Bartender winner Jackie Driscoll, this week you get 2 recipes, food and drink! Below you’ll find the full recipes for the Brugal 1888 Rum Swizzle, and our Green Curry Plantain Gazpacho.

Brugal 1888 Rum Swizzle:

• 1.5 oz Brugal 1888 rum
• .25 oz Highland Park 12 year old Scotch
• Splash of Marsala (or Sherry, or Bianco)
• .75 oz fresh lime juice
• .50 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• .75 oz house-made All-Spice, Cinnamon Bark, & Bay Rum simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a tumbler or directly in a cocktail glass. Shake vigorously over ice, strain and pour into a short cocktail glass. Add a hefty portion of crushed ice, imbibe, and be merry!

Green Curry Plantain Gazpacho:

• 1 yellow onion, small diced
• 2T minced ginger
• 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, hearts minced, leafy stalks tied in a knot
• 4 soft plantain, large diced
• 1T honey
• 2 14oz cans of coconut milk
• 2C water
• 1t cumin
• 2t coriander
• 1t green curry paste
• salt, to taste

Conch Ceviche:

• 8 oz conch, cooked low and slow for 2 hours @ 115 F, chilled and thinly sliced
• 2 Anaheim pepper, charred, de-skinned, seeded, small diced
• 1/2 red onion, small diced
• 3 limes, zested and juiced
• 1t minced garlic
• 1t minced ginger
• 1 ear of corn, charred, kernel cut from cob
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, small minced (adjust amount to desired heat)
• 1 fresh avocado, small diced
• 1t coriander
• 8 oz of coconut milk
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chiffonade
• salt, to taste

Plantain Chips:

• 1 semi-firm plantain
• 1 cup oil (any variety will do, prefer vegetable oil, with 1T coconut oil)
• one pinch of smoked paprika in 1t salt, mixed

For the Gazpacho:

Sautee onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, plantain, in a medium pot for approximately 10-15 minutes, until all components are soft and all aromas are releasing. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 -45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and transfer mixture, in small batches, to blender. Blend until smooth and transfer to a metal bowl. place in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour, until cool. Adjust consistency with more coconut milk or water until desired texture is achieved. Soup should gently coat the back of a spoon without running off too quickly (it needs to be thick enough to suspend the ceviche on top). Season with salt.

For the Ceviche:

Combine all the ingredients minimum 3 hours before desired service with Gazpacho. Mix gently. Refrigerate.

Plantain Chips:

Shave plantains lengthwise, as thinly as possible. Preferred equipment would be a mandolin, a peeler works if you are careful. Heat the oil until a wooden spoon or skewer bubbles mildly when inserted. Fry the plantains a few at a time, flipping after about 45 seconds, until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate or tray with a paper towel, season with salt and paprika mixture immediately.

Assembly:

Pour the Gazpacho carefully into a bowl. With a slotted spoon, fill one side of your bowl with the Ceviche. Garnish with a plantain chip & a few sprigs of whole cilantro leaf. Enjoy!