Mahalo, Doug ~
Thanks for rustling us all together this month. I know how much you hate tiki and what a burden this must've been. I had every intention of not writing anything until I got back from my bourbonic Kentucky adventures next week, but you've prompted me to finally make those Bompas & Parr Mai Tai jellies that, to borrow a line from Richard E. Grant, has been squatting on my brain like an octopus for a fortnight.
Along the way, I learned why my gin & tonics (and only my gin & tonics — not, say, my tiki drinks) glow in the dark of certain night clubs. Enjoy!
The full post, including technique notes, and that glow-in-the dark deal, is
here. The short version of the recipe:
Mai Tai Jellies8 oz medium Jamaican rum [I disregarded "medium" and used a mix of 5 oz Appleton Estate 12-year with 3 oz Smith & Cross]
5 Tbl orange curacao [Cointreau]
5 Tbl orgeat (see below)
2 oz 1:1 simple syrup
2 oz lime juice
2 packets (14g total) powdered gelatin [Knox]
Mint leaves
Combine the rum, curacao, orgeat syrup, sugar syrup, and lime juice in a saucepan.
Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the liquid. Leave the gelatin to soften for 10 minutes. Gently, gently heat the liquid (do not bring it to a boil), stirring constantly, until the gelatin is melted.
Once the gelatin has totally melted, pour the whole lot through a strainer and into a pitcher.
Pour this mixture into a prepared mold or glasses (see above) and set it in the refrigerator at least four hours, but 12 will give it a stronger set.
When you are ready to serve, unmold and garnish with the sprig of mint.
~ rowley