Summertime is Limoncello Time

It's been a great night around the table with friends.   We had a sunny summer evening with cocktails and appetizers outside.  There was a great sunset, fun music, lots of laughs (often at my expense), a good meal, and now the evening is winding down.

We're all still sitting at the table.  Or maybe we're sitting outside around the fire pit.  We're all a little tired, but the conversation continues, just slightly less vibrant than before. As we're winding down - it's time for one last little surprise.  Something sweet.  Something savory.  Just a little taste...

Our House Limoncello

I reach into the freezer and pull out a favorite bottle.  Frosted on the outside.  Ice cold, thick, and syrupy on the inside.   I fill small aperitif-style glasses with bright yellow nectar. The intense lemon scent hits you long before the glass meets your lips.  Yes, its limoncello.

If you haven't had limoncello, go get some.  It screams of summertime.  Adult lemonade.  It's special, just like your guests.

One of our favorite restaurants, The Wooden Table in Greenwood Village, CO pours guests a complementary glass after each meal.  It is so civilized.  

Limoncello has it's origins in and around Napoli and on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  The giant lemons, raised in volcanic soil, produce vibrant fruit that someone figured should be used in alcohol.  I believe that clever person(s) is at the forefront of natural selection. 

John, my brother-in-law, introduced me to limoncello many years ago.  John is my very Italian, north-Jersey-born friend, brother, and Italian food guru.  I remember sipping my first limoncello and was struck by the icy-cool of the frosty syrup, the bright fresh taste of lemon, followed by the warmth of the alcohol.  It was the perfect after-dinner summer sip. 

Shortly thereafter, I purchased limoncello at the local liquor store.  I tried several different varieties but nothing struck me like that first taste with John.  They were ok, but for the price, they just weren't all that great.  

So shortly thereafter again, I found a recipe and made my own limoncello.  Fear not. This isn't like making bourbon, kids.  This is shockingly simple.  There are just three ingredients - lemon peel, sugar syrup, and alcohol (either grain alcohol or a good neutral vodka).  My first experimental batch sat steeping on the counter for a full ten days.  As the days wore on, my son took it upon himself to make daily inquiries about the "specimen" jar on the counter.   Nice.  He was 14.  That's what you get for being creative.  

I strained the mixture, mixed in simple syrup and bingo!  My boy proved wrong.  The flavor was fabulous.  I've kept some on hand ever since. 

And it isn't just a great drink.  It's a great addition to a host of cocktails.  It's also a killer marinade.

Here in Denver, Marco's Coal-Fired Pizzeria (recently renamed Racca's Pizzeria Napoletana) uses it to marinade chicken wings.  You let the wings bathe in lemon greatness for 24 hours and after a high-heat baking, you get a wing with a great blackened edge as the sugars caramelize to create a magical lemon chicken wing.  I don't have a high-heat pizza oven (yet) but my grill does a great job.  And the smell of these wings cooking will lift the spirits of everyone in the neighborhood. 

I've got two recipes for you; one for limoncello and another for Racca's limoncello chicken wings.  You have friends coming over this weekend?  Do this. Your friends will thank you.  Your palate will thank you.  And once again - you'll be living large with simple but great rustic fare.  

p.s.  Thank you, Susan S. for requesting this topic!

Limoncello

Ingredients:
1 bottle (750 ml) of grain alcohol or a good quality, very clean vodka.
10 medium to large organic lemons. If they're small, get a few extra.

For the lemon simple syrup:
3 1/2 cups of of filtered tap water or spring water
3 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (strained of pulp)

Rinse and peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler.  Be sure not to get any of the bitter white pith.  You just want the oil-rich peel.  Put the peels in a large mason jar along with the alcohol.  Let it sit on the counter for three days.  Some say one day is sufficient.  I want to ensure that I get all the oil out of the peel.  I do think there are diminishing returns waiting more than a few days. Besides, the kids will start to freak out.

Make the simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a pot.  Heat without stirring (so it doesn't crystalize) until the sugar dissolves and you have a nice syrup.  Add the strained lemon juice and let it cool.

Combine the syrup and the strained lemon alcohol mixture.  Toss it in the freezer and leave it there until you're ready for some fun.  Drink very cold.

Don't feel constrained by the lemons. Oranges and limes would also work. I have heard of others doing this with cantaloupe or melons but I have no experience with this.  Yet.

Limoncello Chicken Wings by Racca Pizzeria Napoletana via Pizza Today

Ingredients:
5 pounds chicken wings

3 whole lemons
½ cup limoncello
¼ ounce fresh thyme
3 ounces fresh rosemary
¾ ounces fresh oregano
2 tablespoons
kosher salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the quartered lemons, limoncello and rest of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Marinate 5 pounds of chicken wings in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Remove from marinade and bake at 450 F until browned and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve with roasted Vidalia onions.

Or do as I do and cook them on a hot grill.  I like to get a char on them over an open flame, and then turn off the center of the grill, move the chicken to the center of the grill, close the lid and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

Follow The Wooden Table on Twitter at @WoodenTableCO
Follow Racca Pizzeria Napoletana on Twitter  @RaccasPizzeria