INGREDIENTS
Fermented strawberry
1 punnet strawberries
1 litre water
4 sprigs lemon verbena
1 tbsp honey
To serve
600 ml fermented strawberry liquid
120 ml gin
120 ml Maidenii dry vermouth
1 lemon juiced
4 mint branches, leaves picked and crushed
METHOD
- Place a clean preserving jar into the steam oven and Steam at 100°C for 15 minutes to sterilise the jar. Allow to cool.
- Place the ingredients into the sterilised preserving jar. Mix well and cover with cloth or towel and a rubber band to seal.
- Leave on the bench to ferment for a minimum of two days, but up to ten days if you prefer a stronger ferment. Once ready, strain off and store the liquid in the fridge.
To serve
- Pour all the ingredients into a jug. Give it a good stir and leave to infuse the mint for ten minutes.
- Strain off and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When guests arrive, pour over ice and garnish with a fresh herbs and flowers.
Hints and tips
- Dried lemon myrtle or lemon leaves can be substituted if you can’t source lemon verbena.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Matt Stone
At just 22, Matt was approached to join Greenhouse Perth as Head Chef. Here he has embraced the Greenhouse by Joost philosophies of preparing fresh, sustainable, locally-sourced, whole-foods and made a name for himself as a serious innovator and progressive cook. Matt has put Greenhouse at the front of Perth’s dining culture and over the past year he has been awarded numerous accolades. Matt took out Gourmet Traveller’s prestigious Best New Talent Award 2011, West Australia’s Good Food Guide’s Best Young Chef 2011 – with Greenhouse Perth also awarded the Good Food Guide’s Best New Restaurant for 2011.
