This recipe was first published as part of our trend feature on Fermentation.
A complex two-gin duet with backing from fermented taro and cardamom, from the bar operations manager at Potato Head Hong Kong.
30ml London dry gin
20ml Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin
40ml Taro wine*
20ml Poppy and cardamom liqueur**
20ml Lemon juice
10ml Egg white
Dash of soda
Dry shake all ingredients, then wet shake and strain into a fizz glass. Top with a dash of soda and garnish with hibiscus salt.
*Taro wine: 1kg purple taro; 3l water; 600g refined sugar; 100g treacle; 1tsp nutmeg; 1tsp cinnamon; 2 crushed egg shells; 500ml dairy whey. Chop taro finely before blitzing with 1l water. Add to a pot with 2l water and bring to the boil to pasteurise, adding cinnamon and nutmeg. Turn off heat and let rest for 15 minutes, then strain solids and add egg shell, sugar, whey and treacle. Stir to dissolve, then let sit in a carboy for 3 days between 22-30 degrees Celsius. Siphon to avoid dead yeast cells and bottle into crown cap bottles and seal. Leave bottled for 1 week before serving.
**Poppy and cardamom liqueur: 100g blue poppy seeds; 50g cardamom; 1l vodka; 2:1 sugar syrup. Crush poppy and cardamom and mix with vodka. Sous vide at 55 degrees Celsius for 2 hours, strain and add 2l of 2:1 sugar syrup.