I've been trying to creatively use excess from the cocktail process with culinary techniques to honor the whole ingredient and avoid waste for a few years. This cocktail was a great opportunity to work more deeply on the idea of sustainability and create a Zero Waste Cocktail. By this I mean having a drink that:
Leaves nothing behind: there is not excess from the process of making this cocktail
Upcycling: abalone shell as a glassware
Water-saving: not ice needed for serving or chilling
Naturally long-lasting: with lacto-fermentation and clarification techniques
Easy and accessible to replicate: honeydew is a year round fruit and basic ingredients
Innovative: mixing different stages of the same fruit to create a unique flavor and experience
Powerful message: elements to open conversations that matter worldwide; HONEY “Save the Bees”; NO ICE “Global Water Crisis”; ABALONE SHELL “Lakes and Oceans Threats”; 1 MULTIPLE USES FRUIT “Sustainability”.
Do It Yourself
MISE EN PLACE
Glass: Abalone Shell
Ice: None
Garnish: Candied Lacto-Fermented Honeydew Strips & Toasted Honeydew Seeds Dust
Method: Clarified
SPEC
3 Spray Lacto-Fermented Honeydew Mist
1 Pipette Cardamon Bitters
4oz Clarified Cocktail
Coat inside the Abalone Shell with the mist. Arrange your garnish; a little volcano-like of Candied Strips, drop the Cardamon Bitters here and there, pour your cocktail and top with the Toasted Dust
CLARIFIED COCKTAIL (yield 720g)
Mix
- 400g Honeydew Sweetened Juice
- 300g Flor de Caña 12yrs
- 130g Plain Greek Yogurt
Let it rest 30min
Coffee Strain. Keep it refrigerated
Bottle and Label
HONEYDEW SWEETENED JUICE
Blend:
- 400g Honeydew Chopped Flesh (Keep the skin and seeds for next steps)
- 1cup Water
Strain & Set aside the pulp
Yield 400g Juice (start at 6% Brix)
Bring the Juice to 10% Brix with Raw Honey (about 3Tsp)
Bottle and label. Keep it refrigerated.
*Pro tip: make Honeydew Popsicles or Marmalade with the leftover pulp
LACTO-FERMENTED HONEYDEW SKIN
8g Kosher Salt
50g Raw Honey
378g Honeydew Skin
400g Water
Add water, salt and honey in a container and stir to integrate them. On an airtight container add the Honeydew Skin and cover it with your prepared liquid. Let it rest at room temperature for 7 days (15-20Celsius).
Separate the liquid from the skin. Keep them refrigerate or freeze it if you are storing for a longer time.
PART 1 - Candied Lacto-Fermented Honeydew Strips
123g Julienned Lacto-Fermented Honeydew Skin
214g Honeydew Lacto-Fermented Liquid
100g Cane Sugar
Bring the Lacto-Fermented Liquid to boil
Blanch the skin 5 times, shocking with ice water between each round.
Last round keep the skin in the liquid and simmer till the liquid is reduce half way.
Pull apart the skins on an airtight container and add the cane sugar. Label and Keep Refrigerated.
Let the reduced liquid cool down, bottle and label. (We’ll use it as a mist)
PART 2 - Lacto-Fermented Honeydew Mist
Place the reduced liquid from Candied Strips on a mist bottle.
TOASTED HONEYDEW SEEDS DUST
60g Honeydew Seeds
20g Sea Salt
On a non-stick silicone baking mat or pan liner, spread evenly a layer of Honeydew Seeds.
Bake until completely dry and the color turns brown. (air fryer 400 Celsius about 10min)
Let the seeds cool and grinder with sea salt.
Storage in an airtight container.
