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[nverland]

Pomegranate Cosmos

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
2 1/4 cups vodka
1 cup lime juice
3/4 cup Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
1/4 cup ginger juice, (see Note)
2 tablespoons sugar, preferably superfine “bar sugar,” plus more for the rims
Strips of lime zest, for garnish


Preparation

Mix pomegranate juice, vodka, lime juice, Cointreau (or Grand Marnier), ginger juice and sugar in a large pitcher.
For each drink, fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, add 1/2 cup Cosmo mix, and shake until the shaker turns frosty and cold. Dip the rim of a martini (or highball) glass into water and then in sugar (to “sugar the rim”). Strain the drink into the martini glass (or over fresh ice in the highball glass). Garnish with a twist of lime zest, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1 and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Note: We use bottled ginger juice (pressed gingerroot) to add the taste of fresh ginger without the work of mincing or grating. Use it to flavor drinks, stir-fries, marinades or anywhere you’d use fresh ginger. Find it in specialty stores or online at gingerpeople.com.


Scandinavian Pickled Shrimp
Serves 6

2 - 2 1/2 lbs largish fresh or frozen shrimp in their shells
1/2 cup celery leaves
1/4 cup mixed pickling spices
1 tbs salt
2 cups thinly sliced onions
7 or 8 bay leaves

Pickling Marinade

1 1/2 cups salad oil
3/4 cup white vinegar
3 tbs capers with juice
2 1/2 tbs celery seed
1 1/2 tbs salt
A few drops bottled hot sauce or a pinch or two of cayenne

Cover shrimp with boiling water, celery tops, pickling spices and salt. Cover pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, then peel and devein shrimp under cold water. Alternate cleaned shrimp, onion rings and bay leaves in a shallow baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and mix well. Pour over shrimp. Cover and chill at least 24 hours, spooning marinade over shrimp occasionally. Drain, remove bay leaves. Just before serving to a crowd, pile shrimp and onions on a serving tray. (For at-table serving, you can perch the shrimp on the rim of a cocktail glass and fill the glass with onions.) These will keep at least a week in the refrigerator. These have a very pleasant subtle flavor and can be served as is, but if you prefer to serve a sauce, here’s a great one:

Justin Wilson’s Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
cayenne to taste
celery salt to taste

Combine all ingredients thoroughly in a stainless steel or glass dish. Refrigerate, covered, and serve well chilled. This will keep refrigerated for several weeks. Makes 1 1/2 cups