The Best Dishes To Go With An Oaksmith Sour

A first of its kind blend that brings together the best of Scotland and The United States of America by blending premium aged Scotch Malts and aged Kentucky straight Bourbon with world class Japanese craftsmanship, Oaksmith Gold is a versatile spirit. The maltiness and smokiness, which are a result of the addition of scotch malts in the blend, complement robust flavours. Oaksmith Gold is the ideal base for a whisky sour, which pairs well with the intense flavours of fajitas and chicken tikka.  

A whisky sour contains whisky, lemon juice, sugar and, optionally, egg whites to give the drink a foamy texture and appearance. If egg whites are being used, the cocktail is often called a ‘Boston sour’. Here’s a version of the drink that uses Oaksmith Gold:  

Recipe for Oaksmith Sour 

Ingredients: 

• 50ml Oaksmith Gold  
• 17.5ml lemon Juice  
• 15ml sweetener  
• 1 egg white (optional) 
• 4-5 dashes of bitters 
• Lemon peel for garnish

Glass: Old Fashioned 

Method: 

1. Shake all the ingredients (except for the lemon pee) with ice for a few seconds so that the drink is chilled. 
2. Strain it into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice and garnish with the lemon peel.

Food pairing: Mexican tortilla based dishes like fajitas, or Indian meat/non-meat appetisers (heavy snacks) go well with the sweetness and slight tartness of the Oaksmith sour.  

Fajitas 

Mexican ranch workers in Texas invented fajitas towards the end of the 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. These workers were often paid with unwanted parts of meat like the head. They turned these unappetising parts of meat into meals by grilling the meat and serving it with tortillas.  

Recipe for fajitas 

Ingredients:  

• 2 chicken breasts, shredded or finely sliced 
• 1 red onion, finely sliced 
• 1 red pepper, sliced 
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 4 tbsp olive oil 
• A dash of Tabasco sauce 
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 1 tbsp paprika 
• Tortillas (as required)  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven and wrap the tortillas in foil. 
2. Mix the crushed garlic cloves, paprika, lime juice, Tabasco sauce and olive oil in a bowl with a pinch of salt.  
3. Marinate the sliced chicken, peppers, onion and chilli in the mixture. 
4. Heat a pan and added the marinated chicken to it.  
5. Stir over a heat high until the chicken and vegetables are charred.  
6. Put the tortillas in the oven to heat and serve them with the cooked chicken when done.

Indian meat appetiser: chicken tikka

‘Tikka’ is a Persian word that translates to ‘bits’ or ‘pieces’. Chicken tikka originated within the Indian subcontinent during the reign of the Mughals. It is traditionally eaten in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. To make chicken tikka, chunks of boneless chicken are marinated and grilled on skewers. 

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe for chicken tikka 

Ingredients: 

• 400 grams boneless chicken breasts cut into ½ inch pieces  
• 1 tsp red chilli paste  
• Salt to taste 
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste  
• 4 tbsp yogurt  
• ½ tsp garam masala powder  
• Juice of 1 Lemon 
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  
• 1 cup orange juice  
• 2 medium green capsicums cut into ½ inch pieces  
• 2 cups cooked rice  
• ½ tsp black pepper powder  
• 1 tsp sugar  
• 2 tbsp butter  

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with red chilli paste, salt, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, garam masala powder and lemon juice, and mix. 
2. Add 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil and mix and marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator. 
3. Heat a non-stick pan and pour orange juice into it. Add salt, pepper powder and sugar to the orange juice and cook. 
4. When the sauce thickens a little, take it off the heat. Add butter and mix well. 
5. String the chicken pieces and capsicum pieces alternately onto skewers. Heat a non-stick tawa, drizzle a little oil and place the skewers on it. 
6. Turn the skewers so that the chicken gets cooked evenly all around. 
7. Pack rice into a mould, demould it on a serving plate and drizzle 1 tbsp extra virgin oil over it. 
8. Place the skewers over the rice, drizzle the sauce over the chicken and rice and serve immediately. 
9. Use up the remaining chicken and rice similarly.