Very Cold, Very Dry

These past couple of weeks have been full of delicious martini adventures. Some classic combinations always go together, and unexpected twists that had me wanting more.

Honestly, everything goes well with a martini, but I’ve had so much fun recently, both dining out and at home, that I had to share my favorite martini pairings so far.

As you can tell from the title, this is only Part I, and will become a regular series, because the possibilities are endless. I’ll highlight the restaurants we’ve enjoyed so you can add it to your list, as well as share recipes from our kitchen. Enjoy!

Bombay Sapphire Martini with a Lemon Twist and 6 oysters at The Banks in Boston

Is there any combination better than seafood and a martini? The brininess of the oysters complements the smooth, London Dry gin perfectly. I like to take a sip of the martini, then wash it down with an oyster. Nothing better after a long, exhausting day at work. I dined solo, and it was comforting to see another woman right next to me doing the same thing. I felt safe and was able to enjoy my evening.

A Dirty Martini with Bleu Cheese Olives and Spiced Chicken Wings with homemade bleu cheese dressing.

Every Friday, we typically start off the weekend at home with a fun, gastropub-inspired meal. This all started when we started “FriDDDay” night dinners, the DDD’s for “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, the TV show on Food Network where Guy Fieri drives around looking for, as he calls it, “America’s Greatest Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!”

This became a ritual during the pandemic, when we needed some normalcy during this insanely chaotic time.

We try to continue the tradition as much as possible, but our busy work schedules get in the way. Well, last week Eric surprised me with his stellar homemade wings. The bleu cheese olives paired perfectly with the bleu cheese dressing, and I used a clean vodka as to not to overpower the flavor of the wings.

As a bonus, he’s even letting me share his famous recipe! Please enjoy and let us know if and when you make them!

Table Thirteen Wings

2 lbs., chicken wings
1 tbsp., fry seasoning (purchase here)
1 cup + 1 tbsp., oil for frying (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
2 tbsp., cornstarch
2 tbsp., butter, melted
2 tbsp., buffalo sauce

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the wings with the fry seasoning and the 1 tbsp. of oil. Bake the wings for 1 hour in the oven. Let cool completely to room temperature. 
2. Heat the 1 cup of oil in a large pot to 375 degrees. Toss the wings in the cornstarch and fry in the oil until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. 
3. Combine the melted butter with the buffalo sauce. Toss the wings in the sauce. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing (we like this one if not using homemade)

The 50/Cincuenta Martini and Bocadillo Jamon Y Queso (Mini Baguette, Jamon Serrano, and Manchego) at Zurito in Boston.

This was definitely the most inventive martini I have had these past couple of weeks. It has an olive oil infused and washed vodka, with a piquillo vinegar (piquillo peppers, sugar and vinegar are combined and sits overnight), with some homemade Ibérico oil. Zurito only uses cordials in their drinks, so it was super fun to see them use handmade ingredients. The saltiness of the jamon and cheese perfectly paired with the pepper infused flavor. Highly recommend!

We hope you try some of these great recommendations! Post in the comments when you do, or tell us your favorite martini combo! Cheers!