Gin Shortbread

Gin Shortbread

Gin Shortbread, a chilled glass of Vaione South Pacific Gin and a sun lounger overlooking an azure blue sea well warmed by the heat of a hot summer’s day. Take a bite, then have a sip, then relax and close your eyes in the sun. This is what the good life is all about, island time.

250 grams butter, softened
¾ cup icing sugar
½ cups flour
1 cup cornflour
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tablespoons Vaione South Pacific Gin
Pre-heat the oven to 160°c

1.        Clean the outside of the fruit and remove any blemishes, before zesting the lemon and juicing it

2.        In large bowl add the butter and icing sugar and beat together

3.        Add to the butter mixture the flour and cornflour and stir together

4.        Add the lemon zest, juice and Vaione South Pacific Gin

5.        Mix the ingredients together until a dough is made.

6.        Knead the dough out on a clean and lightly floured surface.

7.        Roll the dough until it’s about 1cm thick

8.        Cut into squares

9.        Place onto an oven tray and bake at 160°c for 20 to 25 minutes

10.     Remove and cool

In a small bowl add 2 Tablespoons icing sugar, 1 Tablespoon Vaione South Pacific Gin, ½ teaspoon lemon zest.

Brush over each square of Gin Shortbread.

Gin Shortbread, a chilled glass of Vaione South Pacific Gin and a sun lounger overlooking an azure blue sea well warmed by the heat of a hot summer’s day. Take a bite, then have a sip, then relax and close your eyes in the sun. This is what the good life is all about, island time.

Vaione Gin and Tonic Tartlets

Vaione Gin and Tonic Tartlets

Pre-prepared sweet pastry tartlet cases

3 eggs
¾ cup cream
¼ cup castor sugar
1 lemon, juiced
3 Tablespoons Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

¼ cup castor sugar

¼ cup tonic
1 lime, juiced
3 teaspoons Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

1.       Preheat the oven to 180°c.

2.       Put the eggs, cream, lemon juice and Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin into a large mixing bowl.

3.       Whisk together until well combined.

4.       Pour into the tartlet cases.

5.       Put the filled tartlet cases into the oven at bake for 10 minutes.

6.       Remove from oven and leave to cool.

7.       Add the second measurement of castor sugar, tonic, lime juice and Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin into a sauce pot. Heat over a low heat, stirring for about 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

8.       Turn up the heat to a medium heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

9.       Pour over each cooked tart and decorate.

 

Sweet yet tart, this is a beautiful balance with the Vaione South Pacific Gin custard and the sweet overlay of a refreshing gin glaze. One bite of these tartlets will transport you to the summer sands of the islands.

 

 

Drunken Grapes Poached Chicken

Drunken Grapes Poached Chicken

6 chicken breasts

1 Tablespoon oil
1 ½ cups green grapes, cut into halves
½ cup Premium South Pacific Gin
1 large onion cut into slices
1 cup cream
2 teaspoons powdered chicken stock
Salt, Pepper, Sugar

1. Into the mixing bowl add the grapes and Premium South Pacific Gin. Set aside for at least an hour.
2. In the fry pan add the oil and heat over a medium to hot heat.
3. Add the chicken breasts skin side down. Cook until lightly browned.
4. Turn the chicken breast over. Turn the heat down to medium.
5. Add the Premium South Pacific Gin, grapes and onion to the chicken. Stir to mix and leave to cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the cream then turn the heat down to low to simmer.
7. Add the chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper or sugar to taste and stir to blend into the chicken stock.
8. Leave to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

This is such a mouth watering, beautifully balanced Vaione South Pacific Gin dish. Best served with boiled rice or fresh fettucine.

Every time I make this, the comments are fantastic - seconds are always served. Need I say more!

Delicious Sweet Tang Vaione Marmalade

Vaione South Pacific Gin Marmalade

 6 oranges

2 lemons
2 limes
4 ¼ cups water
¾ cup Vaione South Pacific Gin
5 cups sugar

Preparation required is 24 hours ahead

Small soup pot
Large sized mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Glass jar with lids

1.        Clean the outside of the fruit and remove any blemishes, before removing the skin.

2.        Cut the fruit into quarters. Remove the seeds, throw away. Remove the white pith, throw away.

3.        Cut the fruit quarters into chunks. Put into a large bowl

      4.        Cut the white pith away from the fruit skins.
      5.        Cut 3 orange rind, 1 lemon rind and 1 lime rind into fine slivers, no bigger than 2cm long.
      6.        Put the skins into the bowl with the fruit. Add the water and gin. Leave overnight.
      7.        When ready, begin sterilizing the glass jars and lids as below.
      8.        Pour the fruit and water into the pot. Bring to the boil and boil the fruit for around 30 minutes.
      9.        Test the marmalade to see if it’s ready by taking a ½ teaspoon of the marmalade and dropping onto a small plate.
                   Push it gently with your finger. If there is a slight jelly shape when touched it is ready. If it’s not ready continue to cook
                   and test again in another 3 to 5 minutes.
      10.     Pour into the glass jars while hot and screw the lid on immediately.
Sterilizing Glass Jars
Preheat the oven to 160°c.
To sterilize you need to wash and clean the glass jars and lids. Boil water in a large pot and then put the jam jars and lids into the pot. Lightly boil the jars and lids for 5 minutes. Empty the water out of the pot. Put the jars, not the lids, into the oven for at least 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and dry with fresh paper towels while hot. Fill with your marmalade while the jar is hot and screw the lid on while hot.

This is absolutely delicious marmalade!  It has sweet yet tangy bursts of real orange, lemon and lime flavours tempered with Vaione South Pacific Gin. And there is plenty enough to share, you will be amazed at how fast the empty jar will come back to you! Enjoy this delicious Vaione South Pacific Gin Marmalade at any time of the day.

Creamy Vaione Gin Ice Cream

Vaione Gin Ice Cream

1 ¼ cup cream

2 eggs
¼ cup Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin
1 lime, juiced

1 lime, zested

½ cup sugar

Medium sized mixing bowl

Electric hand mixer or whisk
Spatula
Container with lid, suitable for freezing

1.       Into the mixing bowl add the cream, sugar and eggs.

2.       Beat the cream mixture until the cream has thickened.

3.       Pour the Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin into the cream mixture, slowly while beating.

4.       Beat until stiff.

5.       Pour the icecream into the storage container and put into the fridge.

6.       Freeze.

 

 

 

 

There is nothing like the burst of tingling lime and warming Vaione Gin tempered with soft sweet cream.

Serve this delightful ice cream with a lime sugar syrup or go ahead and kick off your shoes and add a generous dash of Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin. We think this is just delicious!

Seared Salmon with Poached Lime, Orange and Ginger Sauce

4 salmon fillets

¼ cup Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin
3 oranges, juiced
1 orange, sliced
2 limes, juiced
1 lime, sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon oil
Salt, to season
White pepper, to season

1.       Season both sides of the salmon. Set aside.
 

2.       Into the sauce pot add the butter, sugar and ginger. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar has melted.

3.       Into the sauce pot add the orange and lime juice and fruit slices.

4.       Heat the juices over a medium heat until hot, poaching the fruit.

5.       Remove the fruit and set aside.

6.       Turn the heat down to low. Add the Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin and stir, then add the arrowroot and stir through until thickened. Set aside.

7.       Heat the fry pan with the oil to a medium heat. Add each salmon fillet skin side down.

8.       Cook until the flesh of the salmon starts turning a white pink colour. Then turn the salmon over to cook the top side, again until the salmon turns a white pink colour.

Serve the salmon skin side down. Put a poached lime and a poached orange slice just under the salmon fillet. Drizzle the sauce over top. Serve with freshly cut steamed green beans and steamed new potatoes.

Perfectly cooked salmon, rich delicious tastes, stunningly complimented with Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin – a wonderful fresh seafood match. Enjoy!

 

Velvet Lemon & Gin Dessert

Velvet Lemon & Gin Dessert

A delicious moose like dessert with a twist, trust me you will want seconds!

2 cups cream

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/6 cup Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

1/6 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Place cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.
3. Simmer 6 minutes on medium heat or until cream has reduced slightly.
4. Add the lemon juice and Gin and simmer further 2 minutes.
5. Pour into 4x ½ cup ramekins or glasses.
6. Refrigerate until set (Should take about an hour)

Enjoy with fresh raspberries, whipped cream and follow with a glass of Vaione Gin neat or over a single ice cube.

Ota Ika

Ota Ika

Traditional Ota Ika (Also known as Poisson Cru) is one of the most pure delicious tastes of the Pacific Islands.  It is one dish that is always on the table at significant Pacific Island birthday parties, weddings, ceremonies and at home with family - always happy occasions.

This recipe fuses together the freshest of fish, juicy citrus and gin, softened with a touch of coconut cream. Enjoy!

3 fillets of a freshly caught, firm white fish, boneless and deskinned (Approximately 500g)

4 limes, juiced

5 lemons, juiced

5 Tablespoons Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

1 spring onion, sliced

½ green capsicum, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

Fresh coriander, a small handful, roughly chopped

5 Tablespoons Island style coconut cream

Salt, to taste – up to 1 teaspoon

Pepper, to taste

Glass mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Plastic wrap

1.       Cut the fish into small bite sized chunks and place into the glass bowl

2.       Pour the juice over the fish

3.       Leave the fish in a fridge to marinate in the juice for at least 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. (The fish will turn white)

4.       Strain the juice off the fish and squeeze the fish gently to remove excess moisture

5.       Add Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin to the fish and stir through

6.       Chill and marinate the fish in the gin for up to an hour

7.       Add the spring onion, capsicum, tomatoes, chopped coriander, coconut cream, salt and pepper and stir to mix

8.       Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least half an hour before eating

9.       Keep the Ota Ika chilled in the fridge

If limes are not in season, I would replace the limes with lemons. And if you want a creamier taste, add ½ cup of coconut cream to the recipe. 

Help yourself to a generous helping of Ota Ika complimented with an icy glass of Gin and Tonic. Devine!

Traditional Takihi with Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

Takihi 
(Ti-ke-he)

This subtle vegetarian Niuean delicacy of Pawpaw fruit, coconut cream and white taro infused with Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin will bring a fresh ray of Niue Island sunshine to your table. 

1 large white taro

1 beautifully ripe Pawpaw fruit
3 cups coconut cream
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin

Heat the oven to 120°c

1.       Peel the skin off the Pawpaw with a peeler or a sharp knife.

2.       Cut the Pawpaw into half. Then cut each half into skinny slices.

3.       Put the Pawpaw slices into a small dish.

4.       Pour ½ cup of Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin over top of the Pawpaw slices. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

5.       Pour ½ cup of Vaione Premium South Pacific Gin into the 3 cups of coconut cream.

6.       Add the 1 teaspoon of salt and stir through.

7.       Peel the white taro. Cut the taro in half. Slice the taro very very thinly.

8.       In a bowl of fresh water add the taro and the 1 Tablespoon of salt. Leave for 10 minutes.

9.       Rinse the taro in fresh water several times until the water runs clear of starch. Dry the taro.

10.   Layer pieces of taro into an oven proof dish, enough to cover the bottom.

11.   Layer several pieces of the Pawpaw over the taro.

12.   Then pour enough coconut cream over the taro to just cover the taro.

13.   Repeat the layers of taro, Pawpaw and coconut cream until you finish with the final layer of coconut cream. Cover with tin foil.

14.   Make sure you leave a couple of pieces of Pawpaw aside.

15.   Cook the Takihi for between 2 to 3 hours.

16.   Once the taro is soft (when tested with a knife) the dish is ready.
17.    While I prefer to serve my Takihi warm, it can be served cooled if you wish.

Enjoy this dish with family and friends along with your favourite Vaione drink blend and be ready for that Niuean sunshine!