Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/760410
w i n t e r 2 0 1 7 | 5 7 Their first dish: cold-smoked salmon cured in BOMBAY SAPPHIRE ® Gin, along with a delicate Jasmine rice sorbet that echoes the richness of the fish. "The Jasmine rice ties in with the botanicals from the gin; it's all super cold and floral," Crave explains. Served with a Gimlet sweetened by a fresh plum purée, the dish is elegant and transporting. For his second dish, Crave used BACARDI ® 8 Year Old Rum to create his version of a hot buttered rum sauce. The BACARDI 8 imparts caramel, vanilla, dried orange peel and baking spice notes to an autumnal dish of seared duck breast and rustic sage and pumpkin stuffing. Grilled radicchio balances the sweetness of the buttered rum sauce, adding pleasantly smoky, crunchy- bitter undertones. we move south, focusing our gaze and extending our challenge to a pair of talented chefs in Los Angeles. Executive Chef and COO Greg Frazer filled us in on his new Tequila CAZADORES ® carnitas burger—one that he's toying with adding to the flavor-packed menu at his cult gourmet burger chain. "When you get into the Mexican profile, it has to have cilantro, salsa verde and plenty of avocado," says Frazer. "The best-performing burgers hit on a bunch of different flavor and texture levels. The crispness of the tortilla strips, the softness of the avocado, the juiciness of the burger, and the salty- sweet-bitter-umami; they all have to play well together." PHOTO JOANN ARRUDA Seared duck breast with rustic sage and pumpkin stuffing is topped with a BACARDI ® 8 Year Old Rum hot but- tered rum sauce. From Seattle, The BACARDI 8 imparts caramel, vanilla, dried orange peel and baking spice notes to an autumnal dish of seared duck breast WITH rustic sage and pumpkin stuffing." Chef Frazer gave us a glimpse of how he incorpo- rates tequila into his latest creation: "We use the plan- cha, which retains heat, to cook the burgers as well as the carnitas. We season the cubed pork, sear it and then put it in a braising pan. I use bacon fat—that's not traditional in braising—and we like to use lots of it, along with bay leaves, oregano, thyme, black pepper, serrano peppers, garlic and fresh onion." From there, it's cooked at a low temperature for two and a half hours. He continues, "We'll return it to the plancha to create crustiness on the outside." Frazer explains how the Maillard reaction occurs at a high temperature when denatured proteins on the surface of the meat recombine with sugars; they help to create meaty- savory flavors that are key to the restaurant's profile. The Tequila CAZADORES Añejo adds a thrilling dollop of smokiness.