Don’t let the dark and stormy appearance of this drink fool you: it’s tart, light and refreshing, perfect for the dog days of summer. Its color and its distinctive flavor are from tamarind, the pod of a tree that’s used to flavor foods in India and the Middle East. It’s also often made into a sweet and delicious “agua fresca” in Mexico. Tamarind’s flavor is tart and fruity, a bit like a sour cherry, but it’s also a little earthy. Nothing I know tastes quite like it.
Preparing tamarind the traditional way is time-consuming. The dried pods must be soaked, mashed and strained –not what I want to do when I’m in the mood for a cocktail on a warm evening. Fortunately, there are inexpensive and readily available tamarind concentrates that have done this work for you. Just add water, and you’re ready to go. There are many on the market, but, for this purpose, I like the brighter flavor of Tamicon, which you can buy at Indian grocers or online at www.amazon.com for about $3 – $5 for an 8 oz jar.
One steamy, sticky New York evening after Julia went to bed, I pulled out my jar of Tamicon, and, with David and my old friends Dan and Paul as taste-testers, we developed this recipe. Basically, it’s a Margarita with the tamarind standing in for the lime, but there’s some magic in the combination of the earthy tamarind and good tequila that transforms it into something completely different.
Recipe
(for one drink)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
2 oz water
2 oz tequila (preferably an anejo)
1-2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
orange peel for garnish
Instructions
1. In a small glass dissolve 1 tablespoon of tamarind concentrate in 2 oz of water. Stir well.
2. Add to a glass full of ice with the tequila and 1 oz of the Cointreau or triple sec. Stir, taste and adjust the Cointreau or triple sec if the drink is too tart.
Serve garnished with a strip of orange peel.
