Red Rover Blood Orange and Bourbon Cocktail
I’ve never liked ginger, it always just served as a bit of color on my sushi plate, or the stuff I would pick out of a salad.And then this cocktail happened, and I decided to fall in love with ginger when it’s mixed with bourbon.
My husband invented this beautiful drink, and it’s amazing in that get-this-away-from-me-or-I-will-drink-an-entire-pitcher kind of way. The bourbon, blood orange and ginger just meld in a perfect way that makes you wonder where this drink has been your whole life. To be honest, I cringed a bit when my husband started to grate the fresh ginger into the glass. But paired with the bourbon, it has more of a ginger ale taste that is really lovely, completely compliments and brings together all the other flavors.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbs chopped shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¾ cups arborio rice
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup Saison Beer, plus 2 tbs, divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbs heavy cream
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbs chopped chives
- 2 ½ cups unsalted butter
- 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Saison beer
- 2 fresh lobster tails
Directions
- Place the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a mild simmer, keeping to warm, but not boiling.
- In a separate pot, add the butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, but don’t allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell them, about 20 seconds
- Stir in the rice, (if pan is dry, add the oil) cooking until the rice is completely coated with butter and it smells slightly nutty, don’t allow to brown. About 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of the beer and cook until the pan begins to dry, stirring frequently. About 6 minutes.
- Add about ½ cup of broth into the rice. Stir frequently until the rice is almost dry, and then add another ½ cup and repeat. This process should take about 20 minutes. Don’t leave the risotto while it’s cooking, the rice on the bottom of the pan burns easily. (if you run out of broth, just use hot water the same way you would broth)
- Once your risotto is cooked through (taste it to verify that the rice is cooked and not crunchy), turn heat to low and add the cheese, cream, remaining 2 tbs beer and salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be soft and wet, not dry like typical rice. It should be firm enough to be served as a side on a plate, but soft enough to jiggle when the plate is shaken.
- While the risotto is cooking, start working on the lobster. Using a sharp pair of kitchen sheers, cut a straight line down the tail shell, carefully remove the tail meat in one piece.
- In a small sauce pan (if the pan is too big, the lobster will not be covered by the butter and beer), melt the butter. Don’t allow to brown or simmer.
- Add the beer and clip a cooking thermometer on the side of pan, making sure to maintain a temperature between 160 and 180 degrees. Do not boil or even simmer the poaching liquid.
- Once the poaching liquid has reached the proper temperature, add the tails. Cook until the tails have turned red and the meat is just opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t overcook or tails will be rubbery.
- Divide the risotto between two plates, sprinkle with chives.
- Top with lobster tails, serve immediately.
Comments
RavieNomNoms February 4, 2013 um 10:41 am
Oh I am book marking this one!! Bourbon is my drink of choice, I feel like this would be bad news for me!
Jackie February 4, 2013 um 3:50 pm
I don’t drink a lot of heard liquor, but I do love a good bourbon cocktail.
Averie @ Averie Cooks February 4, 2013 um 12:59 pm
Omg I want this drink just b/c you said this "it’s amazing in that get-this-away-from-me-or-I-will-drink-an-entire-pitcher kind of way". That’s how I feel about the rum runner drink I recently posted…it’s crazy good. And this looks like a version on that theme w/ bourbon. Love it!
Jackie February 4, 2013 um 3:51 pm
Those are the best AND worst kind of cocktails!
Cassie | Bake Your Day February 4, 2013 um 2:19 pm
I love you attitude about life, Jackie. You are an inspiration!
Jackie February 4, 2013 um 3:51 pm
Awwww, thanks Cassie 🙂
claire @ the realistic nutritionist February 4, 2013 um 2:48 pm
HAHAHAH!! That’s so sweet 🙂
Tori February 4, 2013 um 3:39 pm
Cute story! And the cocktail looks fab. I actually love ginger, in moderation. Ginger ale is one of my favorite drinks. 🙂
Jackie February 4, 2013 um 3:53 pm
After this, I now know what I’m missing! I’m open to trying it in more things now, I think I just got so turned off by overly sweet ginger candy that I’ve avoided it for years.
ashley – baker by nature February 4, 2013 um 3:43 pm
You have such a sweet personality, Jackie! And this cocktail sounds killer!
Julie @ Table for Two February 4, 2013 um 5:32 pm
OMG. Let’s not even BEGIN to talk about wrong numbers. For the past MONTH, I’ve been getting this same collect call number dialing me. EVERY DAY 3-4 TIMES A DAY. I’m at wits end. I literally want to change my number because of them. Speaking of which, this cocktail would be SO GOOD right now because guess what? Yup, that number JUST dialed me..eff!
steph@stephsbitebybite February 4, 2013 um 6:22 pm
Oh I can’t wait until I can have alcohol again!! Saving this to my After Baby Booze list 🙂
Maddy February 4, 2013 um 6:36 pm
I precisely needed a cocktail for my valentines day party! I love this. WIll be making it for sure.
Bellenza Wedding Bistro February 4, 2013 um 6:52 pm
Looks deliciously like a signature drink for a rustic wedding!
Anna @ Hidden Ponies February 4, 2013 um 9:19 pm
Lol, that’s hilarious! I love your image of her in the floral bathrobe 🙂
Jen @ Savory Simple February 5, 2013 um 6:08 am
This looks so good! I’ve never had the same person repeatedly call but nothing cracks me up more than wrong number texts. Though there was one time I got pissy about it with a guy who repeatedly sent me group texts at all hours even though I keep responding "wrong number."
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious February 5, 2013 um 6:36 am
Ginger can be harsh but also amazing, sounds like you took the amazing route!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious February 5, 2013 um 6:57 am
Haha love it! I can’t believe you’ve developed such a fun relationship with this woman. It’s really cute.
And this cocktail – yeah, it’s Tuesday morning, 7AM and I desperately need a glass of this.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet February 5, 2013 um 7:11 am
You are such a sweetie, Jackie! 🙂 And this cocktail looks amazing!
Liz February 5, 2013 um 11:01 am
I have always loved ginger, so this beautiful cocktail sounds especially appealing!
PS…a local dry cleaner accidentally printed our phone # on their invoices! Our #s are very similar, but it wasn’t so fun fielding the overdue invoice phone calls by ticked off customers. I’m sure I still have credit at their business given due to their error. Crazy!
Sara February 5, 2013 um 2:30 pm
Where you find those fun, Rockwellian straws?
Jackie February 5, 2013 um 4:58 pm
Amazon, like everything else 😉
http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Biodegradable-Paper-Straws-Striped/dp/B004K8SSAC
Sockmonkeys Kitchen March 15, 2013 um 3:12 pm
I’ve also seen them at Sur La Table, if that helps =0)
a farmer in the dell February 5, 2013 um 2:30 pm
Now this is my kind of cocktail! We had a similar cocktail served at our wedding. Yum!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies February 5, 2013 um 5:35 pm
I get lots of wrong number calls too–the best is when they leave long, rambling voicemails, despite that fact that my message starts with "You’ve reached Kiersten." And I loooove me some ginger, so this sounds like perfection to me!
Meghan February 5, 2013 um 6:56 pm
Very cute story & this drinks looks awesome! Wish I had one right now – can’t wait to try it!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. February 5, 2013 um 10:01 pm
Oh gosh, what a funny story!! Hope you will hear from her again soon!
Another perfect blood orange drink! It looks so refreshing!
constance c February 7, 2013 um 6:24 pm
This looks so good! and your photos are so beautiful.
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen February 12, 2013 um 12:30 pm
I kept getting a wrong number phone call last night and the woman was so insistent that she had the right number I was the one who was wrong….so strange.
This drink has my name written all over it….yum!!
Jen February 13, 2013 um 4:21 am
Nice recipe! My boyfriend and I made it and it was aaaaamazing! I love it, wish I could order it at bars.
vegan valentine drinks and desserts | Love Without Handles February 13, 2013 um 9:33 am
[…] via Domestic Fits. […]
wanda Brown February 18, 2013 um 8:22 am
Thanks for the marvelous cocktail! I really enjoyed it. have a nice day!
yolanda February 19, 2013 um 6:38 pm
It’s going to be finish of my week for a while! perfect friday night cocktail
brandi February 22, 2013 um 7:43 am
well, i could take a pitcher of this tonight.
bourbon + ginger ale/ginger beer is one of my favorite, favorite drinks ever. and with blood orange? i need to make this.
nirvana brown March 5, 2013 um 2:30 pm
Oh my goodness! Want!
Sockmonkeys Kitchen March 15, 2013 um 3:14 pm
Yes, I do believe I’ll have one with you =0)
PS: love the story! I actually miss my wrong-number Grandma that used to call me somewhat often, and start every sentence with, "Diane, I wanted to tell you something… last week…"
I would always say, "Oh honey, I’m not Diane – I believe you’ve dialed wrong." To which she would almost always reply, "Oh dear! Well, do tell Diane I said hello. Thank you, goodbye".