I contributed this process to a companion cookbook for my foodie friend and historical novelist Crystal King. Her book In the Garden of Monsters introduced me to this liqueur. It's so delicious.
Tomorrow - September 24th - is book release day as well as release day for the cookbook. Brava, Crystal!
I will be sharing the three recipes I contributed, but you definitely don't want to miss all of the other inspired recipes by a select group of chefs, bartenders, foodie writers, and more. I have also linked to all of her novels at the bottom of this post. If you love historical fiction, you will love her books.
Ratafià, A Cherry Liqueur from Abruzzo
Between courses, Ignazio returned with a little digestive on a silver tray. "Ratafià," he said as he placed the glass in front of me. His arm brushed my shoulder as he set it down. I recoiled from the intense heat of his touch, which sent my heart racing again. ...I smelled the glass of liqueur. "Cherry, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove," Paolo said, anticipating my question. He tilted his head back and downed his glass. "Every nonna has her own recipe" (pg. 31).
Sometimes I think if you look at what comes out of my kitchen, you would expect me to be a little nonna. Maybe someday...
Ratafià liqueur is one of those family recipes and formulae that passes from one generation to another in Abruzzo. It is made with sour amarena cherries, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine, more grain alcohol, and a variety of spices. Its name comes from a legal Latin phrase ut rata fiat that means 'the deal is made'. In the past, when a contract was signed, a toast was made with Ratafià.
So, when two of my best friends came back from picking cherries in California's central valley - and gave me two pounds - I activiated my witchiness and decided to try my hand at Ratafià for Crystal.
Mountain Brook Ranch, Fresno. Photos by Pia Garneau
Grazie Mille, Garneaux!
I am glad I looked at the recipe ahead of time because I thought I would be macerating in grain alcohol only. Turns out the fruit in this recipe soaks in a mixture of red wine and grain alcohol. My spices are not traditional; this is usually made with cinnamon sticks and star anise. I went rogue with what I had in my pantry.
Ingredients
5 to 6 cups organic cherries
3 cups Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine
1-1/2 cups vodka
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
2 vanilla beans
1 nutmeg
water
sugar
Also needed: muddler, lidded jars for infusing, bottles for gifting
Procedure
Infusing
Place cherries in jar, glass or bowl, and press them with a muddler to break the skin and release some of the juice. Transfer fruit and juice into your infusing jar. The jar should be filled at least halfway up with the fruit. Slice vanilla beans open and scrape the seeds. Place seeds and pods. Add in the spices and pour in the wine and vodka. Place the jar in a dark, cool place for a minimum of six weeks. Traditionally, Ratafià is bottled on the Feast of San Lorenzo which is August 10th. But it's whatever you can manage, really.
Bottling
Strain out the cherries and spices. I ended up with about five cups of infused alcohol. Make a simple syrup. For five cups of infused alcohol, I used four cups water and two cups organic granulated sugar. Place sugar and water in a pot. Bring to a simmer and swirl to dissolve the sugar. Once it's completely dissolved, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Stir in the infused alcohol. Use a funnel to pour the Ratafià into individual bottles and let age for another two months. Now it's ready for gifting and sipping. Cin cin!
Get copies of all of Crystal King's books from these Amazon affiliate links below.... If you are uncomfortable using the affiliate links, feel free to visit amazon on your own and search for the titles or ask for them at your local bookstore.
In the Garden of Monsters (2024)
The Chef's Secret (2019)
Feast of Sorrow (2017)
Comentarii