Compressed fennel gin, vanilla and lemon balm tonic

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This fennel-infused gin recipe from Paul Welburn offers a delightfully fresh take on the classic, using sous vide equipment to compress the fennel and inject the maximum amount of flavour into the gin. Eschewing citrus for lemon balm is another clever twist, while the drink is saved from sourness by using fresh vanilla seeds.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Fennel-infused gin

To serve

Equipment

  • Mandoline
  • Chamber sealer
  • Vacuum bags
  • Muslin cloth

Method

1
Slice the fennel as thinly as possible with a mandoline. Place in a vacuum bag with the gin, seal in a chamber sealer and leave in the fridge for 24 hours
2
After this time, cut open the bag and pass the liquid through muslin to leave a fragrant and fresh fennel-flavoured gin
3
Pour 50ml of the fennel gin into each glass, over ice. Add the seeds of half a vanilla pod per cocktail and stir
  • 3 vanilla pods
4
Top up with the tonic and then add a sprig of lemon balm, a slice of fennel and half a scraped out vanilla pod to garnish. Serve immediately
First published in 2015

Paul Welburn has years of Michelin-star cooking behind him, holding a star for five years at restaurant W1.

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