Wild Skillet Blog

Spring has been warming us up to Sunday picnics, evening dinner parties, and most nostalgic of them all, summery sips of infused drinks and mixed cocktails.  A glimpse of the botanical abundance found in everyday cocktails was first introduced to us in a book, The Drunken Botanist, by Amy Stewart. Why not add more of an aromatic flavor experience to our cocktails this summer!

If you’d like to craft a more complex taste then handcrafted bitters is a simple way to make familiar drinks seem new again!

Bitters are concentrated liquor flavorings that are mixed into drinks to give a deeper and more complex flavor. Back in the day, they were used a medicinal tonics to help with indigestion but slowly have become a essential ingredient for mixologists and their tasty cocktails.

The bitter taste can be derived a few different ways. Most commonly it comes from citrus peels or bitter roots and bark. The bitter taste is then extracted using alcohol that is at least 100 proof. The higher the proof, the more easily flavors are extracted from your ingredients. For our bitter creations we used bourbon whiskey and Everclear (whew 151 proof!). Once you have your bitter agents and alcohol you’re ready to experiment with more complex and subtle flavors.
Making bitters is an aromatic experience. You are encouraged to relax and enjoy this creative process of experimenting with different ingredients. It’s easy to get wrapped up in creating a complex blend of herbs, spices, and fruits. I found a plethora of unique aromatic ingredients I enjoyed sampling and selecting was found at the nearest organic grocery store in the herbs and spices section. A trusted resource for some “hard to find ingredients” is Mountain Rose Herbs (https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/).

Here’s our own bitters recipes along with a few suggestions for other ingredients you can use to create your own variation of bitters. We hope you enjoy making these as much as we did. Remember, a little bit goes a long way!

A Wild Bitter Treat

• 4 – 1” slices of Grapefruit zest
• 2 – 1” slices of lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp – Anise Seeds
• 4 – 1” slices of burdock root
• 1 tbsp- Cacao Nibs
• 1 tsp – Cloves
• 1 tsp – Dried Cherry
• 1/2 tsp – Fennel Seed
• 1 tsp – Juniper Berry
• 1 tsp- Licorice Root
• 1 tsp – Peppermint Leaves
• 1 tsp- Peppercorn
• 5 whole – Rose hips (dried)
• 2 whole – Start Anise

Savory Cocktail Bitters

• 4- 1” Slices of Lemon Zest
• 1 tsp- Anise Seed
• 4 springs – Dill
• 1 tsp – Fennel Seed
• 3 cloves – Garlic
• 1 Tbsp- Ginger
• 4 sprigs – Parsley
• 1 sprig – Rosemary

Recipe

1. Place the aromatics and bittering agents into a canning jar
2. Add the alcohol & gently muddle the ingredients.
3. Store at room temperature and shake the jar every few days for up to 30 days.
4. When the desired flavor is achieved, strain the infusion through cheesecloth.

Enjoy bitters in cocktails, soda water, tea, and almost anything!

Storage Tip: Securely close the jar and store at room temperature away from sunlight. Best used within a year.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try some of these unique ingredients!

The Bittering Agent
Burdock Root
Orange zest
Grapefruit zest
Lemon Zest
Dandelion Root

The Solution
Everclear (151 Proof)
Bourbon Whiskey

The Aroma
Anise Seeds
Bay Leaves
Lavender
Carroway Seed
Cloves
Dill
Dried Currant
Dried Cherry
Fennel Seed
Juniper Berry
Licorice Root
Nutmeg
Peppermint Leaves
Rainbow Peppercorns
Red Clover Blossoms
Rose Hips
Rosemary
Star Anise
Garlic
Ginger
Dill
Cinnamon Sticks
Cacao Nibs

Homemade broth reminds us of home, the familiar smell of stock on the stove brings back memories of mothers, grandmothers, leftovers, and of course, hot soup.

Broth is one of those essential items to have in your kitchen. Not only delicious and comforting, it also is packed with health benefits. There’s a reason why grandmothers all around the world considered it a staple. It’s full of nutrients, comforting flavor, and it’s easy to make at home.

What is it exactly? It is essentially boiled down bones with some vegetables and spices for enhanced flavor. The classic vegetables added to stock are called a mirepoix, which includes carrots, celery and onions. Traditional spices include peppercorns, parsley, and thyme. Adding additional flavoring agents such as garlic enhance the flavor further but aren’t necessary. You can use chicken bones, beef bones, duck bones or even fish bones.

It’s best to use grass fed, organic animals because you will be boiling down the core of the animal and extracting all of those minerals and nutrients. When the bones are cooked, the structures breakdown and several beneficial compounds are released, including collagen and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. You can add stock to dishes to add depth of flavor or enjoy it on it’s own.

Next time you have leftover bones from your dinner, put them aside and start your own stock. Within a few hours (4-6 for chicken) you will have a delicious stock to either freeze for later use or have the next day with lunch. Now go try making your own!

Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

2 lbs of organic turkey or chicken carcass
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 carrots
2 celery stocks
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
tablespoon of peppercorns
2 bay leaves
several springs of fresh parsley, lemon grass, rosemary or thyme (whatever you have handy)

Spring is in the air, stew season is finally over and fresh salads are ready to take center stage. As you all know, a salad is only as good as its dressing and your dressing is only as good as your ingredients.

I have often stocked my kitchen with various cold pressed oils and bowls of fresh lemons but it wasn’t until my visit to Esalen that I starting incorporating miso paste.

What is this delightfully tasty concoction? It’s a mixture of fermented soybeans, salt and koji.

Miso outranks many other flavorful ingredients in nutrition as it is high in protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a secret ingredient used to add depth and balance to your meals.

The video, at the beginning of this article, is of Esalen Institute’s Chef. Phillip Burrus teaching us how to create a simple, but umami inspired vinagrette in the garden. We hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

6 tablespoons of almond oil or olive oil
2 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon
1 teaspoon of miso (maybe a dash more if the miso is mild)
Pinch of sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Whisk the ingredients then pour them over your favorite salad, kale or fish. If you are feeling bold, add some fresh ginger and black sesames seeds to this golden mixture.

The Wild Skillet team had the amazing opportunity to visit with one of our favorite chefs, Phillip Burrus, executive chef at Esalen Institute located in Big Sur, CA. The food at Esalen is world-renowned. People come from all over to enjoy the flavors of fresh-picked ingredients aligned with a synergy of ancient & modern cooking techniques.

In Esalen’s gorgeous garden, between the rows of leafy green crops and perennial flowers, Chef Phillip taught us one of his favorite techniques, lemon preservation.

A Moroccan delicacy, mellow but bold in flavor with a heightened essence of vibrant lemon zest. Preserved lemons are an affordable and a practical method of enjoying lemons long after they have been harvested. There’s something very instinctual about food preservation, as it has permeated almost every culture and helped humans survive extreme climates. Although preserved lemons are usually associated with Mediterranean cooking, after a little digging, we’ve found out that they’ve been used in recipes all around the world from the Greeks to Russians, and even in early 19th Century English cookbooks!

When you’re craving the loud flavor notes of lemon, but don’t want to accidentally overpower more subtle flavors, the magic of preserved lemons will shine in your dish. A versatile ingredient, it can be used to substitute any items that calls for lemons and adds another level of complexity that fresh lemons lack.

Chef Phillip demonstrates how easy it is to make your own jar of preserved lemons. Check out our video below.

Lemon Preserves
A Quick & Easy Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 lemons (or however many you want to make)
• 6 tablespoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• lemons juice

1. Wash the lemons and cut a deep cross all the way from the top to within 3/4 inch from the base.
2. Stuff each lemon with 1 tablespoon of the salt and place in the jar.
3. Push down on the lemons so they are squeezed together tightly.
4. Fill lemon juice to the top.
5. Seal the jar and leave in a cool spot for 1 month.

*the longer you leave them, the better the flavor.

Lemons also have many health benefits thanks to their high concentration of vitamin C. They have powerful antioxidant properties which can help lower your risk of asthma and cancer while boosting your immune system and increasing the production of collagen in your skin. A glass of lemon water every day has been shown to aid in digestion, balance your bodies PH, freshen breath and can even help with weight lose.

It’s positively bone chilling out there! While your first instinct might be to go for a cup of fatty-rich hot cocoa or caffeine-riddled coffee, why not give this option a try?

It’s dairy free, aromatic, and LOADED with immune system boosters. It contains ginger, a spicy holiday flavor that has anti-inflammatory and digestion aiding properties. Plus, this tonic has a heavy hit of marigold-colored turmeric which has been shown to help arthritis, upset stomach, and even fight some types of cancer. Add some sweet honey and rich coconut milk, and you will be hoping that winter lasts all year long.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon Tumeric
• 2 1/4 – inch peeled slice of Ginger
• Tea leaves (any preference: we used an herbal blend of floral tea)
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• Coconut Milk (added to taste)
• 1 1/2 cup hot water

Add the above ingredients into a mug and stir until all the ingredients have been infused into your mixture. The sliced ginger can be removed before drinking or finely grated to taste.

Our winter tonic is a great way to stay warm and bright as you endure the winter season!