Aperitivo at home? Try this recipe from Milan-based mixologist Alessandro Melis, a consultant for the Pandenus group and co-founder of Nonsolococktails, a bartending school in Milan.
Pair his Artichoke Negroni with these savory small bites created by our head chef Joëlle Néderlants.
Artichoke Negroni
Makes 4 drinks
Skill Level Easy
Time 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 oz. red vermouth
1 oz. artichoke liqueur
4 lavender bitter drops
1 orange peel
ice
Combine all ingredients (apart from the orange peel) in a mixing glass or pitcher filled with ice, and mix with a long spoon for 1 minute.
Strain and pour into a champagne glass, garnish with orange peel, and serve.
Almond-Crusted Shrimp
Makes 6 pieces
Skill Level Easy
Time 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups peanut oil
6 tsp. almond flour
6 tsp. sliced almonds
6 shrimp tails
2 large egg whites – salt
Shell the shrimp tails, leaving the heads on. Place each tail on a stick, so that they maintain their shape while cooking. Beat the egg whites, then dip the shrimp in them. Dip them in the almond flour, then pass them again in the beaten egg whites, then cover with the sliced almonds. Dip the skewers in boiling peanut oil (about 340°F) for 2 minutes. Drain the shrimp on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
Baci di Parmigiano (Parmigiano Kisses)
Makes 12 pieces
Skill Level Easy
Time 30 minutes
Vegetarian
Ingredients:
4 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, grated
4 oz. Delicata squash pulp
3 Tbsp. hazelnuts
cinnamon powder
corn seed oil
salt – pepper
Mix the hazelnut kernels with the grated Parmigiano and distribute this mixture into multiple 1 - 1 ¼" round silicone molds, pressing down firmly. Fill 24 half spheres. Bake in the microwave at maximum power for 1 minute, then remove. Let the mixture cool and harden inside the mold, and then gently detach from the molds. Roast the squash pulp in thin slices in a little seed oil over a low flame, and add a pinch of cinnamon. After 2-3 minutes, moisten with half a glass of water, raise the flame lightly and cook until evaporated. Blend the squash pulp into a cream, and season with salt and pepper. Form the “kisses” by pairing the Parmigiano shells and sandwiching the cinnamon squash cream between each pair.