Appetizers with Rum

[Edward Hamilton]

There are all kinds of food pairings that I like with rum. But to go with that first drink of the day few things hit the spot like fried plantains sprinkled with sea salt and served with some island hot sauce.

What do you prepare while your contemplating your first drink at the end of the work day.

[young0076]

Well I have liked some good olive oil and some spices mixed in and dip some french bread in it and have a go with it.....tastes really good with some sailor jerry or even some cruzan fruit flavored rums........

[RobertBurr]

A great smoked fish dip made with smoked chilis, smoked paprika, a dash of onion and garlic.

or

Crackers with a bit of slow roasted, BBQ pork and rum sauce, topped with a dollop of buttery sweet potato with cinnamon and molasses mixed in.

or

Fresh guacamole made with key lime, chipotle powder and creme fraiche, served on a crisp, lightly salted tortilla chip.

[Rum Runner]

I'll take all three of yours Robert!

I like Ed's idea of tostones also. I do a variation of them here called Araсitas (http://latinfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/aranitas.htm).

I like to put out a few different plates when friends are over.

Thin slices of mesquite smoked pork shoulder with a garlic, cilantro, citrus mayonnaise dip.

Whatever fresh fruit I can find in the yard...Mine or the neighbors. Papaya, mango, guava etc.

A nice chunk of the local cheese "Queso del Pais" marinated in Spanish olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and sun dried tomato.

A loaf or two of the local "Pan d'Agua" bread serves as a nice carrier for the above.

[VicZinc]

For white rum like WNOP I like kumquats. They have the perfect combination of bitter and sweet with a citrusy twang. They prepare the pallet for the heavier oily rums.

For a sweet ron, like Zacapa 23, I go with cheese and fruit tray. Piquant cheeses like blue or asiago cut the sweetness and bring out the fruity flavors.

For aged sippers like ElDo I like tinned fishes, sardines, kippers, oysters etc. on crackers. The smokey flavor meshes so beautifully with the oaky overtones of the barrel aged rums.

[EssentialSpirits]

Sauteed prawns, or bbq prawns, with a brown sugar/chipotle/lime/rum marinade.

edit: sorry, just re-read the question... after a work day.. i dont need an appetizer.. i go straight for a spirit sipper of my rum :)

what... making alcohol all day is difficult :)

[Jerry]

cheers.gif

Everything sounds so good! I am usually pressed for time, so a can of mixed nuts or a slice of parmesan cheese works well for me!

[RonJames]

Robert Burrs guacomole is a hit, had this over valentines day with the misses and she loved it. We used plantain chips, non sweet. salted almonds, honey roasted peanuts, tropical fruit fresh or dried, Ed hamilton had an idea awhile ago with cooked coconut meat. Chocolate goes GREAT. I had a bacon-chocolate bar that paired really well with a semi-sweet rum.

[Edward Hamilton]

I'll take all three of yours Robert!

I like Ed's idea of tostones also. I do a variation of them here called Arañitas (http://latinfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/aranitas.htm).

I like to put out a few different plates when friends are over.

Thin slices of mesquite smoked pork shoulder with a garlic, cilantro, citrus mayonnaise dip.

I picked up some green plantains a week ago and one of them will be ready to eat by the end of the week. I'm definitely going to try the Arañitas (http://latinfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/aranitas.htm) recipe. Love garlic and plantains. And that sounds like it is faster to cook as well.

I've been talking to Barrie Lynn, the Cheese Impressario (http://www.thecheeseimpresario.com/) about cheese and rum and she's agreed to do a seminar at one of the upcoming Rum Festivals. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve.

[Rum Runner]

I picked up some green plantains a week ago and one of them will be ready to eat by the end of the week. I'm definitely going to try the Arañitas (http://latinfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsnacks/r/aranitas.htm) recipe. Love garlic and plantains. And that sounds like it is faster to cook as well.

I've been talking to Barrie Lynn, the Cheese Impressario (http://www.thecheeseimpresario.com/) about cheese and rum and she's agreed to do a seminar at one of the upcoming Rum Festivals. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve.

Don't let the Plantain get too ripe before making Arañitas. Otherwise it will turn to mush when grating it.

Barrie Lynn's site looks fantastic. Her passion for cheese jumps right off the screen onto one's plate.

[RonJames]

Dude if she can help with blending the right cheese with the right rum it would be very helpful. Good work.

[Edward Hamilton]

Don't let the Plantain get too ripe before making Araсitas. Otherwise it will turn to mush when grating it.

The first of the four plantains I have was just that, and not adding enough oil to the pan didn't help either. But it was nice with a glass of rum and ginger ale.

Barrie Lynn's site looks fantastic. Her passion for cheese jumps right off the screen onto one's plate.

I hope to meet Barrie in the coming weeks, she is certainly passionate about cheese and eager to explore rum pairings so I have no doubt we'll have a lot to share. She's very much hands on when it comes to her business and like the Ministry of Rum, she does most of her own work.

[Rum Runner]

The first of the four plantains I have was just that, and not adding enough oil to the pan didn't help either. But it was nice with a glass of rum and ginger ale.

I was afraid that might be the case. Try it again with a very green plantain. The tannin in the under ripe fruit will go away in the frying process. I form a loose ball and then flatten it upon dropping it into the oil.



I hope to meet Barrie in the coming weeks, she is certainly passionate about cheese and eager to explore rum pairings so I have no doubt we'll have a lot to share. She's very much hands on when it comes to her business and like the Ministry of Rum, she does most of her own work.

A wonderful addition to add to the enjoyment of all things rum.

[Edward Hamilton]

In the Caribbean, the best selection of great cheeses are available in the French islands and Sint Maarten. One of the things I'll miss when I return to the Caribbean are the artisan cheeses from the Midwest states and of course California.

There are other places but these are the ones I've discovered and come to appreciate. But I know a lot more about the cork closures on rum bottles than I do about cheese.

[RonJames]

I agree about finding cheese in the carib. Even the ones I saw didn't look or smell too flavorful, however I am biased as I spend a lot of time in Vermont with a million different cheddars.

One thing I forgot for appetizers is the meat selection. Love kabobs of any type. What me and the misses have done before is run off to the local brazilian churasco and had them wack off the spits different sausages, pork, chicken, ribs, steak, heck even little gremlins. I like it because there isn't any sauce on the meat, just salt on the outside and with its natural juices lending the meat flavor. The flavor and salt offsets the sweetness of most rums and cocktails.

[Edward Hamilton]

After discovering that a lot of sauces contain more sugar than my drink, especially the prepackaged ones, I tend to prefer grilled meat bits sans sauce.

Now a little spiced lamb sausage is another story.

[RonJames]

Me and you are of the same mind Ed, actually one quick way to set me off is to bring up the fact that most prepackaged BBQ sauces use corn syrup which I despise. Homemade or good BBQ sauces should have honey, molasses, fruit zest, or maple syrup, and not corn syrup. I stick mostly to non sweet rubs with rum. Lolol, if only I could find a way to cook lechon and if the neighbors didn't mind.drooling2.gif

[Rum Runner]

Lolol, if only I could find a way to cook lechon and if the neighbors didn't mind.drooling2.gif

Perhaps you have the wrong neighbors????Btmup.gif

[RonJames]

Oh, I do my friend, I do. The rum does help in putting up with them though laughing.gif