Perfectly Unreasonable Tastemakers

Marinade

• 3 Cornish hens, halved
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• ½ TSP saffron threads, bloomed in 2 TBSP hot water
• 1 TSP kosher salt
• ¼ cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon

Glaze

• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP honey
• ½ TSP saffron water
• 1 TBSP Maker’s Mark 

Beet-Orange Blossom Tahdig

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 TSP salt
• ¼ TSP saffron bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 TBSP orange blossom water
• ½ cup beet juice
• Well-salted par-boil water (pasta-level salty)
• ¼ cup slivered carrots
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• ¼ cup barberries or golden raisins
• 2 TBSP butter + 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Zest strips from 1 orange

Saffron-Bourbon Cornish Hens

• Bloom the saffron in hot water until deep golden.
• Whisk yogurt, lemon, garlic, saffron water, salt + bourbon.
• Marinate hens at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
• Roast at 400°F for 35–45 min.
• In final 15 minutes, baste every 5 minutes with glaze: melt butter, honey, saffron, and a splash of bourbon until glossy.

Serve hot over tahdig below.

Beet-Orange Blossom Tahdig

• Rinse rice until water runs clear.
• Parboil in salted water until just shy of tender; drain.
• Heat butter + oil in a non-stick pot.
• In a sheet pan layer rice and draw lines into it to release steam and avoid overcooking.
• Scoop out about 1 cup and add saffron water to color the rice and set aside.
• Drizzle orange blossom water beet juice over rice and use your hands to fully incorporate.
• Layer: carrots → pistachios → barberries into the rice.
• Steam on medium-low ~45 min, lid wrapped in a towel.
• To release: gently loosen sides, invert, and pray to the tahdig gods.
• Top with more crushed pistachios and orange zest.

There’s a kind of quiet light right before sunset — everything softens and glows. That’s this drink. Sol created a cocktail — the Golden Hour Sour — that mirrors her designed meal’s palette and depth. Clarified citrus, saffron-honey syrup, and Maker’s Mark create something silky, floral, and unexpectedly bright. It’s a full-sensory pairing. A little unreasonable. And completely unforgettable.

• 2 parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon
• ¾ part clarified citrus*
• ½ part saffron–honey syrup*
• 1 egg white (or aquafaba)
• Ice

Rim 

• 1 TSP sumac
• 1 TSP fine sugar
• ½ TSP flaky salt

Clarified Citrus

• 200 ml lemon juice
• 100 ml orange juice
• 30–40 ml whole milk

Saffron-Honey Syrup

• 100 grams honey
• 50 grams water
• 15 saffron threads bloomed in 1 TBSP hot water

• Rim glass with sumac-sugar-salt.
• Shake bourbon, citrus, saffron-honey syrup + egg white (no ice).
• Add ice + shake again.
• Double-strain into coupe. 

• Garnish with saffron threads or orange blossom mist.

   

Clarified Citrus

• Stir milk into mixed citrus.
• Chill until curdled (45–60 min).
• Strain through coffee filter until clear. 

Stores up to 5 days.

Saffron-Honey Syrup: Warm (don’t boil), stir in saffron, steep 15 min, strain.

Meat

• 3.5 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt

Marinade

• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 5 tbsp Maker's Mark 46 Whisky
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground five spice powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (reduced from 2 tbsp)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 scallions, roughly chopped

The day before the meal: Cut the pork into 2-inch-thick slabs, you should get about 2 to 3 pieces from a single large pork shoulder. Blend all the marinade ingredients together until smooth. Place the meat in one or two plastic bags. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade in a separate container, then pour the remaining marinade over the meat. Seal the bags and give the pork a good massage to help it absorb the flavors. Store the meat and reserved marinade in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.

The day of meal: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the pork on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Pour water into the bottom of the sheet pan until it reaches about halfway up your fingernail, this helps catch drippings and keeps the meat moist. Roast the pork for a total of 50 minutes, basting with the reserved marinade every 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches about 155°F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice into thick strips and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with flaky salt and extra finely chopped scallions to enjoy. To store, seal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze and enjoy within 4 months.

To take it one step further, Frankie even took that same pairing of soy sauce and whisky and challenged myself to make a cocktail. It features Maker’s Mark 46 that’s fat-washed with brown butter and sesame oil that’s then mixed with maple syrup, yuzu, and soy sauce that both highlights and complements the rich char siu and whisky.

• 2 parts brown butter sesame-washed whisky*
• 1 part maple syrup
• 1 part yuzu juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• *Brown Butter Sesame-Washed Whisky
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
• 10 parts of Maker’s Mark 46 whisky
• 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil 

Measure out the whisky along with maple syrup, yuzu, vanilla into a cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a cup with an ice cube. Sprinkle allspice and a very light drizzle of soy sauce to finish.

Brown Butter Sesame-Washed Whisky: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and stir frequently as it starts to melt and bubble. Look for little brown specks to start to appear and the color to change from yellow to a light amber (3-5 minutes). Once it’s lightly browned, remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof container to cool. In a jar with a lid, add Maker’s Mark 46 whisky along with brown butter and sesame oil. Seal, then shake every 20 minutes for 2 hours. Place the jar into the freezer overnight. The following day, strain the whisky through a fine-mesh sleeve into a container, then strain again through a coffee filter and store. 

Makes four servings.

• 8 parts Maker's Mark Fat-Washed with Peanut Butter
• 4 parts Lemon Juice 
• 3 parts Strawberry Vanilla Syrup 
• 1 part Amaretto Liqueur 
• 4 parts Milk
• Garnish: Strawberry, PB&J Sandwich

Mix Maker's Mark, lemon juice, syrup & amaretto liqueur in a jar. In a container add milk. Slowly pour the cocktail into the milk to curdle. Let sit for 20 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter, this will take a bit of time. Serve chilled over ice. Garnish with mini peanut butter & jelly danish. 

• Fat-Washed Peanut Butter Whisky
  • Ingredients: 8 parts Maker's Mark, 1 1/2 tbsp Peanut Butter
  • Method: Add peanut butter to a jar. Add whisky and shake. Let infuse for a few hours. Chill in the freezer. Strain through a coffee filter. Store at room temp.
• Strawberry Vanilla Syrup
  • Ingredients: 2 cups Strawberries, 2 cups Sugar, 1 1/2 cups Water, 1 Vanilla Bean
  • Method: Add sliced strawberries to a pan. Add sugar, water, and vanilla bean. Add over medium heat and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain into a jar.

Ashley Rose pairs cherry and umami with Maker’s Mark’s stone fruit notes to create another lovely sour unreasonably reminiscent of a garden stroll. Explore her recipe in the next slides, including what it takes to formulate her yummy Cherry Miso Syrup.

• 2 parts Maker’s Mark whisky
• 1 part lemon juice
• 3/4 parts cherry miso syrup
• 1 egg white
• Garnish: cherry
• Optional: edible flower

Cherry Miso Syrup*

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup cherries, sliced
• 3 tbsp sweet white miso paste

Step 1: Add all the ingredients into a shaker without ice. 

Step 2: Dry shake. 

Step 3: Add ice and shake.

Step 4: Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish.

Cherry Miso Syrup*: Add all ingredients into a sauce pan. Stir. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool and fine strain into a jar. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks.