Good Food for Vodka Thread

[MDH]

Just thought I'd create this thread for those of us who like pairing Vodka with food. Especially with A. Cold Seafood or B. Russian Food.

To begin, one of my favorite appetizers...

1 Japanese Cucumber
Slices of cold smoked Sockeye Salmon fillet
Lemon Rind (Lemon juice, squeezed and set aside)
Tsp Masago
Capers

Slice the cucumber into 1/4" thick rounds and dry the tops slightly with cloth (The lox may slip if the cucumber is especially juicy). Drape small square pieces of the lox over the slices and sprinkle lightly with lemon juice, then the rind, and dab a bit of masago and capers on top of each one, and finally a bit of fine ground black pepper. Immediately refrigerate it, if you decide not to eat it immediately.

If anybody has recipes, I would be happy to know them.

[RumBrewer]

OK...I'll Bite.

Raw Oysters. Top with a bit of sour cream, a bit of Caviar, and flood with Vodka.


OH SO GOOD!

[fendr]

Moscow Style Ham and pickles.

[MDH]

How could I forget the pickles.

Another dish. If you have ever tried potato pancakes, you can do something similar with yams, sweet potatoes and even some high starch kinds of squash. In Russia this is called Blini. Try mixing wasabi, celery salt and mustard with creme fraiche, topping this on a small pancake and then topping that with barbecued eel marinated in ginger glaze. Absolutely fantastic taste and it pairs well with potato vodkas.

And another appetizer - Put black lumpfish caviar (This is the affordable kind that tastes like oysters) on top of small rounds of rye bread with cream cheese (or fine cottage cheese), a sprinkling of dill and spirals of lemon rind. A godsend of a dish!

[Odin]

Danish rye bred, herring on top, a shot of aquavit after that.

Edit: sorry, missed the point. Vodka not aquavit.

[heartcut]

Gotta second RB's raw oysters. I'll take mine with horseradish, chased with little sips on shots of -20degF high quality vodka. Listen to the flavors change!

[Odin]

I like my oysters raw ... and with nothing else. The idea of combining it with vodka sounds great though!

Odin.

[bentstick]

We drop the oyster in the shot.
Oyster shooters are what we call them odin good stuff but bad on gastro tract!

[Odin]

Bentstick, sounds like something I would like to try! Instead of putting some lemon juice on them, let them swim in vodka, right?

Good idea!

Odin.

[Bushman]

We have an oyster bar in my town that is famous for oyster shooters, actually found some glasses I have dedicated to the delicacy.

[johnny108]

Smoked salmon, with a dab of horseradish, or an herbed mustard. Or maybe a black/rye fennel bread with white butter, me, and my bottle..
For the vodka "presentation" (for parties and such)- I take a 1/2 gallon paper milk carton- put an inch of ice in it, add the vodka bottle, fill almost to the top with water- then freeze the bottle in a solid block of ice. Peel the paper away, set on a deep tray with a towel wrapped around the block for the handle.
(always wanted to try fugu sashimi- I'll bet it would pair nicely with an all-bran vodka)

[OlympicMtDoo]

Gota + the raw oysters, spent many years in the oyster and clam biz, and lunch was only to sit down on a five gallon bucket, take out your knife and start taking the shells off your lunch couldn't add vodka very well then but I sure can now

[heartcut]

Great idea for the vodka freezer, johnny108. Gonna have to try that.

[Samohon]

I have Ukrainian/Russian family coming to visit Scotland on the 23rd - April... Will be serving..

Ice cold vodka (place in freezer for +12 hours)...
BBQ'd Scottish Salmon fillets on a bed of soft spiced home made oat cakes...

Водка в России / Украине всегда подается с закуской. <--Just practising for them coming guy's...
Vodka in Russia/Ukraine is always served with zakuski. (fresh meats,fish and pastries)

Got 15L of Odins Special K vodka and 10L Rads All-Bran voddy for the to try... So I'll get a review for us...

Man I friggin love this hobby... Saved me a fortune in booze...

[OlympicMtDoo]

Sounds good Sam, let us know how it goes.

[Bushman]

With a 25 year old son I am not sure I saved a fortune as he knows I have more than I normally would of had on hand!

[FruitsNNuts]

Ok I'll bite.

Seared Ahi (Tuna)

Here on the left coast we get a ready supply of Ahi steaks that are great on the grill

1 Ahi Steak about an inch (25mm) thick
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Miso Paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Soy Sauce
1 Lemon
1 Shot 1.5oz (50 ml) Vodka
A little garlic powder (optional)

Mix the Miso Paste, Lemon, Soy Sauce and Vodka together. Adjust proportions to taste. so that you get a sauce that will stick to the steak.
Marinate the steak and give it a good massage to soften it up and get the sauce into the meat.
Let it rest while you go and get the coals going on the grill (for me about 45 minutes)
Sear the steak on the grill, DON'T OVERCOOK IT! You want the center practically raw (like sushimi)
Get a plate, warm it a little, pore the remaining sauce on it and put the steak on top.

We have a few expensive restaurants in the area that serve seared Ahi. So far my reviewers have said this pretty good, and it's an hell of a lot cheaper than eating out.

Served best when paired with really cold (From the freezer) Vodka!

Enjoy.