TIP OF THE DAY: Non-Cocktail Ways To Use Tequila

September 9, 2014 at 8:00 am · Filed under Cocktails & Spirits, Cookies-Cake-Pastry, Recipes, Tip Of The Day

We found ourselves with a wealth of tequila on hand—lots of opened bottles that we tasted for one review or another, but never got back to. So we decided to use the tequila in cooking. Here’s what else to do with tequila.

Cake: Replace up to 1/4 cup liquid in a cake recipe with tequila, or add some to the frosting.

Compound butter: For corn or other vegetables, mix chili powder, lime juice and tequila into softened butter and return the butter to the fridge.

Fondue: Replace the Kirsch with tequila in cheese or chocolate fondue.

Fruit salad: Make a simple syrup by bringing to a boil 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup tequila to a boil (optionally add 1/4 cup triple sec). Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool. Toss with fresh fruit salad and refrigerate for an hour or longer (the syrup can be made in advance).

Fruit topping: Add to sautéed fruit to create a delicious topping for ice cream or pound cake; or serve as a compote.

Granita or sorbet: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila to the recipe. Don’t add too much: Alcohol doesn’t freeze, so you could end up with a slushie.

Glaze: Add 1/2 cup tequila to 2 cups jelly for a ham glaze or other meat glave.

Add some tequila to your favorite cake recipe. Photo courtesy Partida Tequila.

Gravlax: Sprinkle the salmon with tequila after salting but before wrapping and weighting down.

Jell-O: For a more tame version of Jell-O shots, add tequila to the cold water when setting flavored gelatin.

Marinade: Make a mix of half lime juice, half tequila to marinate chicken, shrimp or other seafood (or choose another proportion).

Pasta sauce: As with vodka sauce, add a tablespoon or more to red or white sauce.

Salsa: Add a tablespoon of tequila.

Sauce for meat or seafood: Deglaze the pan with tequila instead of wine (here’s how).

Seafood marinade: 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup tequila, 1/8 cup soy sauce, 1/8 cup fresh lime juice.

Soups, stews, chili: Add two shots to the pot, or drizzle a teaspoon over individual bowls.

There’s tequila in both the cheesecake and
the topping. Photo courtesy Olga Valentina |
Olga Cooks.

RECIPE: TEQUILA CHEESECAKE

Olga Valentina of Olga Cooks created a wonderful Partida Tequila Cheesecake. Here’s a step-by-step photo display of the recipe.

Ingredients

For The Cheesecake

2 tablespoons of blanco (silver) tequila

2.5 cups ricotta cheese

1.5 cups cream cheese

6 eggs

1 lime

1 cup sugar

1 cup of sage honey (or other herbal or floral honey, but sage imparts a particular flavor)

For The Crust

8 ounces oatmeal cookies

2/3 stick of butter

For The Topping

5-6 cups fresh strawberries

½ cup sugar

2 limes, juiced

½ cup of blanco (silver) tequila

Preparation

1. MAKE the topping: Hull, core and slice the strawberries, add to a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Pour the tequila and lime juice over the berries, mixing well so that the berries are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

2. MAKE the crust: Preheat the oven to 340°F. Blend the butter and oatmeal cookies by pulsing together in a food processor. Press the mixture into a 10″ springform pan, ensuring that the bottom is evenly covered. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. MAKE cheesecake batter: Using an electric mixer, blend together the ricotta, cream cheese, honey, sugar and tequila. Zest the lime into the bowl, then squeeze in the lime juice. Mix well.

4. ADD the eggs to the batter one at a time, using an electric mixer.

5. POUR the batter into the crust. Surround the pan with aluminum foil and place it onto a ridged baking sheet*. Fill the baking sheet with an inch of water to make a bain marie. The water provides moisture that keeps the top of the cheesecake from cracking; the foil keeps the water out of the springform pan.

6. BAKE for an hour at 340°F, or until the top of the cheesecake is golden brown. Cool on a rack, then chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 3 hours or ideally, overnight.

7. TOP with the tequila-infused strawberries and serve.

*Some professionals prefer ridged baking sheets for more even cooking, but you can certainly use a standard baking sheet.

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