BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) and Canada's guru of the grill Chef Rob Rainford spice-up
the summer season

TORONTO, May 4 /CNW/ - Ready, shake, grill! With the weather heating up and summer just around the corner, everyone is getting ready to fire up their BBQ and show off their grilling expertise to friends and family alike. This year, take your summer entertaining skills to the next level and skip the burgers and beer. Impress your guests with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE(R) gin's Inspired Cocktail and Cuisine pairings, featuring exclusive recipes from BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and Rob Rainford, Food Network Celebrity Chef.

Inspired by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE botanicals, each dish is rich in worldly, exotic flavours, complimented by the easy mixability of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE dry gin. There is a pairing for every palate, so sip-in every second of summer, and ensure your guests leave begging for an invite to your next BBQ.

    
    SAPPHIRE(R) SOUTHSIDE and Grilled Tri Tip Steak
    -----------------------------------------------

    SAPPHIRE(R) SOUTHSIDE
    ---------------------

    Ingredients

    1.5oz        BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    1 oz         Freshly squeezed lime juice
    2/3 oz       Sugar syrup
                 (2 parts sugar: 1 part boiling water, stir until dissolved
                 and chill)
    8-10         Fresh mint leaves
    Top with     Soda water
    

Method

Add all except the soda to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Shake very hard to bruise the mint and release flavour and strain into a glass filled with crushed or cracked ice. Top with a dash of soda and garnish with 1 large mint sprig, lime slice and 2 long straws.

Mixology Tip:

Crushed ice should completely fill glass, top to bottom, creating a super-chilly drink resulting in ice forming on the outside of the glass.

    
    Grilled Tri Tip Steak
    ---------------------
    Original Recipe by Chef Rob Rainford

    Ingredients

    1 1/2 lbs.   Beef tri tip steak
    2 Tbsp       Olive oil
    1 tsp        Chilli powder
    Kosher salt, to taste
    Black pepper (freshly cracked), to taste

    Marinade:

    4 Tbsp       BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    4 Tbsp       Olive oil
    4 cloves     Garlic, sliced
    1/2          Onion, sliced
    1            Orange (zest only)
    

The Rainford Method:

In a self-sealing plastic bag, combine the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, olive oil, garlic, onion and orange zest to make the marinade. Place the steak in the bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium, approximately 350ºF (180ºC).

Bring the tri tip steak up to room temperature and pat dry any excess marinade using paper towels. Season it with olive oil, chilli powder, salt and pepper.

Place the steak over direct heat and let sear for 5 minutes, and then move it to the indirect heat for 15 to 25 minutes.

For best results, remove steak from the grill when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 125ºF (52ºC).

Note: If you prefer to cook your steak longer, keep in mind that the meat will get tougher the longer it stays on the grill. Serves 4

    
    SAPPHIRE(R) SANGAREE and Leg of Lamb
    ------------------------------------

    SAPPHIRE(R) SANGAREE
    --------------------

    Ingredients (Makes 4 cocktails)

    4 oz         BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    2 oz         Ruby Port
    2 oz         Cointreau Liqueur
    3 1/2 oz     Lemon Juice
    Lemon slice, seasonal berries and mint leaves for garnish
    

Method

Into a chilled pitcher, add the lemon juice, orange liqueur and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and stir to mix. Pour into rocks glasses filled two thirds full with cracked ice* and gently drizzle 1/2oz of ruby port over the mixture. Finish the cocktail with a thin shimmering layer of cracked ice and ornament with a lemon slice, seasonal berries and clutch of mint leaves.

Mixology Tip: Cracked Ice

Take a large zip lock bag and fill 3/4 full with ice, and then fold a tea-towel (cloth) around the bag. Take a rolling pin or muddler and firmly, but not furiously, crack the ice with smart firm taps. The ice should reduce to popcorn-sized pieces; this improves dilution, chilling, and appearance for "sip and stir" style drinks.

    
    SAPPHIRE(R) Leg of Lamb
    -----------------------
    Original Recipe by Chef Rob Rainford

    Ingredients

    9 lbs        Leg of lamb
    2/3 cup      BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    1/3 cup      Olive oil
    1            Onion, chopped
    1 Tbsp       Juniper berry, crushed
    8 cloves     Garlic
    2 Tbsp       Rosemary
    

The Rainford Method:

To make the marinade, combine BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, olive oil, onion, juniper berry, garlic and rosemary in a blender. Puree and liquefy.

Place leg of lamb in the largest bowl you have.

Coat with marinade, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove leg of lamb from fridge and bring to room temperature.

Fire up your charcoal grill or gas BBQ to medium-high heat -- approx. 350ºF (180ºC).

Reminder: You'll be using indirect heat to grill your leg of lamb.

Remove leg of lamb from the marinade, discarding leftover marinade. Use a paper towel to gently pat the extra marinade off the leg.

Sear the leg of lamb on direct heat until you have achieved a dark brown color. Then move the lamb to one side away from the direct heat and close the lid. Be sure not to peek too much because each peek drops the temperature inside the grill.

Note: Be sure to use a drip tray directly under the lamb when it's on the indirect side of the grill. This will insure the drippings do not make a mess of your grill. For a special touch, add a little BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin and water to the drip tray to infuse the steam inside the grill with flavour.

Your lamb will be cooked when you reach internal temperatures between 140-150º F (60-65ºC).

This dish goes especially well with SAPPHIRE Salsa Fresca, but the options are endless.

Serves 10-12

    
    SAPPHIRE(R) Salsa Fresca
    ------------------------
    Original Recipe by Chef Rob Rainford

    Ingredients:

    2 Tbsp       Peeled white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
    8 pc         Plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch dice
    1 pc         Serrano chilli, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
    1 tsp        White sugar
    1/4 cup      BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    1 tsp        Kosher salt
    1 Tbsp       Fresh lime juice
    

The Rainford Method:

Place the onion in a strainer, rinse with hot water, and drain.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Chill in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.

Note: Add a little more sugar if the tomatoes are acidic but not so much that the salsa begins to taste of sugar. Serves 8

    
    SAPPHIRE(R) BARCELONA and Honey Dew Melon Soup
    ----------------------------------------------

    SAPPHIRE(R) BARCELONA
    ---------------------

    Ingredients (Makes 4 cocktails)

    6oz          BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    3oz          Fresh grapefruit juice
    2oz          Fresh lemon juice
    3oz          Simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part boiling water)
    8oz          Prosecco
    Lemon and Grapefruit twist garnish
    (If available a single lozenge/column of hand-cut ice)
    

Method

This drink uses a special technique called "Rolling" created at Boadas (bow-ah-dass) in Barcelona, Spain to reduce the fizz and chill the drink perfectly.

The true Boadas Roll is an elaborate affair with much showmanship; but the technique can be adapted for everyday use if you have a shaker, strainer, or small jug.

Put aside half of the prosecco for later use. Add the remaining prosecco plus all the other ingredients to a jug and fill with ice. Prepare your garnish and glasses, to be ready to serve.

Take the empty shaker tin (or another jug) in your left hand, and the full jug and strainer in your right hand (reverse if you are left handed) and pour the mixture into the empty jug all the time raising the jug quickly up to 2 feet high so the mixture aerates properly. Decant the mix back into the ice jug and repeat. Do this 3 to 4 times to ensure the cocktail is mixed, aerated and chilled sufficiently. Pour the liquid into 4 champagne flutes. Top each flute with the remaining prosecco for extra fizz and garnish with lemon and grapefruit twists.

Mixology Tip:

For larger parties chill glasses with ice, or keep glassware in fridge or freezer

    
    Honey Dew Melon Soup
    --------------------
    Original Recipe by Chef Rob Rainford

    Ingredients

    Alder wood chips, presoaked for a minimum of 2 hours
    1            Honey dew melon, cubed and peeled (approx 1/2 cup)
    1 cup        Pineapple juice
    1            Lemon (juice only)
    1            Lime (juice only)
    6 pc         Basil leaves, chopped
    3 Tbsp       BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin
    4 Tbsp       Simple syrup
    

The Rainford Method:

It's time to get your charcoal grill or gas BBQ ready for smoking.

    
        -  Charcoal grill: Using your chimney starter, light the coals. It
           should take you around 15 minute to light 15-20 pieces of lump
           charcoal. Once the coals are lit, add 2 handfuls of soaked alder
           wood chips directly to the coals. This will give you big smoke.
           For the flavor profile required, you only need to smoke for 15 to
           20 minutes.

        -  Gas BBQ: Prepare smoke pouch. Place 8 cups (2 liter) of alder wood
           chips into a bowl of cold water to soak for 1 hour. Reserve 4 cups
           (1 liter) of dry wood chips. To build a smoke pouch, drain 2 cups
           (500ml) of the wet wood chips and squeeze excess water out. Spread
           wet wood chips on a large piece of aluminum foil. Place 1 cup
           (250ml) of dry wood chips on top. Mix them together. Close the
           foil around the chips to make a sealed foil package. Use a fork to
           puncture holes in the top and bottom of the foil pack to allow the
           smoke to flow through and infuse the meat. Repeat to make 4
           pouches. Place the smoke pouch on the side of the grill with
           direct heat.
    

To prepare the Honey Dew Melon Soup, place your halved and peeled honey dew melon on the indirect heat side of your smoker or gas grill. Allow the smoke to do its work and envelope the cavity of the smoker or gas grill. After the desired time (15 to 20 minutes), remove the honey dew from the grill.

Cut the honey dew into bite size pieces and liquefy it in the blender on high speed along with the pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, basil, simple syrup and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin.

Note: For best results, let this mixture to sit over night. This allows the flavor of the gin to flourish.

Serve BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin Honey Dew Melon Soup chilled with a dollop of Lime Sorbet.

Serves 8

    
             BE BRILLIANT, BE INSPIRED. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
                 www.bombaysapphire.com/InspiredEntertaining
    

For further information: or photography, please contact: Lena Beyer or Sandra DeCarvalho at Optimum Public Relations, Lena Beyer, [phone], [email protected]; Sandra DeCarvalho, [phone], [email protected]