Classic Negroni and French Onion Dip with Chips
For Starters: Classic Negroni
For Starters: Classic Negroni and French Onion Dip with Chips
For Starters: Classic Negroni and French Onion Dip with Chips
For Starters: French Onion Dip with Chips
Practically everyone who knows me, or hears my name, immediately recognizes the fact that I come from Italian ancestry. I am very proud of my heritage not only because, let’s face it, Italians are pretty cool, but also because Italians really know how to eat and enjoy food.
Italians aren’t by and large known to be drinkers so to speak. Yes they enjoy their wine, but Italian cocktails are pretty sorry for the most part. Italy’s national liquor is Grappa, which doesn’t happen to be one of my personal favorites.
Italians do not avoid alcohol, but they simply drink it a little differently than most Americans realize. Most Italians believe that alcohol should go with things. For the most part, they don’t consider alcohol to be a recreational activity itself. They like their food paired with their drink. I must say that this idea is right up my alley.
Italy, however, does create a liquor which I consider to be a shining star and believe that it deserves more praise and credit (especially in this area) than it receives. The liquor that I am referring to is called Campari.
Campari is a bitter liqueur considered an aperitif made from the infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. Campari is often characterized by its dark red color and is commonly served with soda water, wine or citrus juice.
I know what most of you are thinking – what’s an aperitif? An aperitif is an alcoholic drink that is normally served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet. A digestif is an alcoholic drink normally served after a meal, but we’ll talk more about those in a future column.
So what’s my point with all of this? The cocktail I chose to make this week is one of my favorite aperitif cocktails and one of its three ingredients happens to be Campari.
The Negroni cocktail is a classic cocktail that has actually been called one of the world’s indispensible cocktails. The Negroni cocktail is made from one part gin, one part vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and one part Campari. Traditionally it is garnished with an orange peel.
The Negroni is a bitter cocktail but I find it to be very refreshing and delicious, especially this time of the year when the weather is getting warmer. I also find it to be delicious when paired with bar type foods such as potato chips, dips, nuts, charcuterie and cheese.
The Negroni is very simple to make, since it’s only made from three ingredients and a garnish, and is a fantastic way to kick off an evening. As mentioned above, the idea of an aperitif is to stimulate the appetite and the Negroni paired with some simple one-bite hors d’oeuvres does just that.
To pair with the Negroni this week I chose one of my favorite snacks – French onion dip with potato chips. The dip has some sweet notes and the chips are of course salty so they balance each other out perfectly. One is creamy and the other is crunchy so it also has a great textural contrast as well. All of this also goes wonderfully with the complexity of the Negroni.
French onion dip, in my opinion, is one of those foods that you have to make at home. The pre-made dips you buy from the dairy case in your local supermarket doesn’t come close to doing the dip justice. If you have never made it you probably have no frame of reference on the matter, so you’ll just have to trust me by trying my recipe in this column.
The most crucial part of making the dip is to perfectly caramelize the onions in butter. The best secret for how to do this is to do it over low heat and take your time. It may take an hour or more but it’s definitely worth it.
If the heat is too high the butter and/or onions will burn pretty quickly and easily or half of your onions will be caramelized while the other half will just sweat and remain white. Be patient and you’ll thank yourself later.
Aside from cooking the onions, the dip is basically just mixing ingredients together. It’s simple and delicious much like the Negroni.
As for the potato chips, I prefer thicker crispier kettle style chips. I feel that a potato chip meant for a dip has two key purposes. First it should be able to hold a large amount of dip (why thickness is important). Second it should add a very recognizable crunchy textural component to the creamy dip (why crispy is important).
I also believe that you should use your personal favorite chips. My only real objection for pairing chips with this dip would be the flavored varieties. Why take the time to make a delicious dip if you are going to mask the flavor with a barbeque or cheddar flavored chip?
I hope that this pairing gives you something fun and unique to try this weekend as you host your holiday parties. Give them a try and surprise your guests. Have a very Happy Easter weekend and – Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca
Recipe: Negroni
Yield: 1 cocktail
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 strip orange peel, to garnish
Procedure:
1. Add the Campari, gin and sweet vermouth to an Old Fashioned glass and fill with ice. Stir the cocktail until chilled, garnish with a strip of orange peel, and serve.
Recipe: French Onion Dip
Yield: about 10 servings
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into three equal pieces
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon celery salt
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco
Sea salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon snipped fresh chives, to garnish
Procedure:
1. Add the sliced onions to a large non-stick sauté pan and place over low heat. Place the butter on top of the onions and slowly caramelize the onions while stirring occasionally until they are golden brown.
2. Strain the excess butter from the onions and reserve for later use. Place the onions on a plate or sheet pan and place them in the refrigerator until they are completely chilled.
3. When the caramelized onions are chilled, transfer them to a cutting board and finely chop them before proceeding.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and 2 tablespoons of the reserved butter from cooking the onions and stir with a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly. Season the dip to taste with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
5. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, garnish with fresh snipped chives, and serve with potato chips. Dip may be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.