Nuts about bees

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This inventive bee pollen mocktail recipe from Matt Whiley of the Peg + Patriot bar matches natural pollen with homemade pistachio soda for a grown up twist on honey-nut flavour. Bee pollen itself has a fairly floral flavour, which will vary depending on what kind of flowers the bees have been visiting. It is available online, or from health food stores.

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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Bee pollen syrup

  • 8g of bee pollen
  • 200ml of water
  • 200g of sugar

Pistachio soda

To serve

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Straws
  • Highball glass
  • Gas cartridges
  • Soda siphon

Method

1
Begin by preparing the base for the pistachio soda. Lightly blend the pistachio nuts and transfer to a container with the water. Leave to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours
2
For the bee pollen syrup, add the pollen to a pan over a medium heat, lightly toast the pollen until it begins to release its aroma, shaking the pan continuously
  • 8g of bee pollen
3
Add the water and continue cooking until the pollen appears to dissolve. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and return to a pan over a medium heat
  • 200ml of water
4
Add the sugar to the pan, constantly stirring to dissolve
  • 200g of sugar
5
Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature
6
Once ready to serve, strain the pistachio water through a fine mesh sieve into a soda siphon. Charge with a gas cartridge
7
Fill a highball glass with ice and add a spoonful of pollen syrup. Fill the glass with pistachio soda and stir to combine. Serve with a piece of lemon peel, dill top and a straw
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After formative years with Tom Aikens at his eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant in Chelsea, Lee Westcott rose to fame at The Typing Room before launching Pensons – a beautiful restaurant with rooms on the Netherwood Estate in Worcestershire.

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