Pisco Sour & Ceviche

Anybody unsure of the potential behind pairing cocktails with food has clearly never tried the combined delights of Peru’s national mixed drink with their national dish.

Pisco is a colourless brandy produced in both Peru and Chile where it is the national spirit of each country. The spirit originates from Peru where by law, they must still use traditional methods of production.

The Pisco Sour, with its notes of fruit, subtle spices and the sweet and sour combination of lemon juice and sugar makes one of my favorite tipples for a hot day (or any time time really…). The other crucial part of the Pisco Sour is fresh egg white. The only people who should be even slightly worried about egg white are very old people, very young people and pregnant ladies. Trust me, the drink simply is not the same without it!

Pisco Sour

The recipe for the Pisco Sour is as follow:

60 ml/2 oz Picso Acholado or Puro

30 ml/1 oz FRESH Lemon Juice

15 ml/1/2 oz Sugar Syrup (2:1)

1 FRESH Egg White

3 drops Amargo Bitters (Angostura Bitters will work fine as well)

Place all the ingredient, except the Bitters, in a cocktail shaker and  shake HARD for about  eight seconds. Strain the drink into a chilled glass and drip three drops of bitters on top of the foam (as seen in the above picture).

Ceviche

Ceviche is simply raw fish left in fresh lime juice, where the acidity “cooks” the fish. You’ll need to the fish in the fresh lime juice for at lease 20 minutes. Use a firm fleshed fish such as Sea Bass or Red Snapper. Other ingredients are finely sliced red onion, Diced tomatoes, red and yellow peppers. Finish the dish off with a little fresh chopped coriander.

Ehm…one more please?

Trust me on this, buy the ingredients for both the Pisco Sour and the Ceviche now and taste what I can only describe as a match made in heaven!