A Caesar, a classic Canadian cocktail, is as popular as its American counterpart the Bloody Mary. So what’s the difference, you ask? The ingredients include Clamato, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt (and perhaps celery salt), black pepper and vodka. The addition of clam juice is what gives the Canadian Caesar its umami flavor. Canadian bartenders know that garnishes are almost as important as clam juice. And by the way, a stick of celery isn’t going to cut it if you want to really show off this awesome drink! Think of skewered pickles, stuffed olives, shrimp, scallops, smoked bacon. It can come dressed to look like an antipasto! Need more inspiration? Click here.
When I eat fresh oysters, I want them au naturel. I want to savor the salinity in the meat, taste the flavor of seaweed (dulse) if the oyster has been harvested from the ocean’s floor. When ordered from a restaurant, they’re usually accompanied by two or three condiments. I ignore these and slurp back how nature intended me to taste them. Anything else would be a sacrilege that is until I made this Caesar granita. I know, I can hear what you must be saying. The thing is, though, this granita actually does compliment the flavor of the meat without compromising it. There’s a hint of salt, a hint of heat, ice keeps the meat cool, and the vodka mixes beautifully with the natural juice from the oyster.
1 cup Mott’s Clamato juice
1/2 cup vodka
2 drops Worcestershire sauce
hot sauce
Combine ingredients, place in a container and freeze for a couple of hours. Remove from freezer and using a spoon scrape to loosen up into ice crystals. Use about half to one teaspoon of the granita for each oyster and serve immediately.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Not a fan of oysters? Serve the granita on a tablespoon as a palate cleanser or atop freshly sliced heirloom tomatoes with torn buffalo mozzarella. Enjoy!
oysters with caesar granita
Author: The Culinary Chase
- 1 cup Clamato juice
- ½ cup vodka
- 2 drops Worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce
- Combine ingredients, place in a container and freeze for a couple of hours. Remove from freezer and using a spoon scrape to loosen up into ice crystals. Use about half to one teaspoon of the granita for each oyster and serve immediately.
- The Culinary Chase’s Note: Not a fan of oysters? Serve the granita on a tablespoon as a palate cleanser or atop freshly sliced heirloom tomatoes with torn buffalo mozzarella. Enjoy!
3.5.3251
Heather ChaseThe Culinary Chase was coined by my husband whilst in a coffee shop in Hong Kong back in 2006. We wanted something that would be a play on my last name and by the time we finished our coffee, the name was born. As long as I can remember I’ve enjoyed cooking. It wasn’t until we moved to Asia that I began to experiment using herbs and spices in my everyday cooking. Not only do they enhance the flavor of food but also heighten it nutritionally. Over the years, I began to change our diet to include more vegetables, pulses, whole grains and less red meat. Don’t get me wrong, we love our meat, just not in super-size portions (too hard for the body to digest). I always use the palm of my hand as a guide to portion control when eating red meat. If the meat is larger than my hand, I save that portion for another day. Also, if the veggies on your plate look colorful (think the colors of the rainbow) – red, green, yellow, orange etc. then you’re most likely getting the right amount of nutrients per meal. I post recipes that I think help maintain a healthy body. I use the 80/20 rule – 80% of the time I make a conscious effort to eat healthy and 20% for when I want french fries with gravy (poutine). Balance is the key and to enjoy life with whatever comes my way. Thanks for visiting!