A.B.C cocktail and mushroom velouté

Weekend officially started!

Today is the first official day of Undercover Toad the blog, a little behind the scene on the entrepreneur life for the Undercover Toad team. Well, better say, Undercover Toad dream. As I drag you along on this project of mine, I thought of a nice tradition to reflect, manifest and unwind. At the end of each week, no matter how challenging or fulfilling, let’s gather around a little treat namely a nice cocktail and recipe.

Picture of a clear glass shot glass filled with the three color layered cocktail A.B.C cocktail (in the left front corner). Behind the shot glass are three clear glass individual size serving bowls of mushroom velouté adorned with a slice of brown button mushroom and pink straws (in the right bottom corner). The cocktail and the bowls are set on a brown wooden table. — A.B.C cocktail and Mushroom velouté

For this first week recipe, here is to fighting the cold outside while staying healthy: A.B.C cocktail and mushroom velouté recipe. The mushroom velouté is creamy and balances well with the A.B.C, quite fiery. A good matching, really! Add to the fact that it only took half an hour maximum to cook and we got ourselves a first winner on our recipe book!

Prepping the mushroom velouté

Picture of the different non-branded, fresh ingredients required for a home-made mushroom velouté with from left to right: a white porcelain bowl of plain flour, a clear glass of milk, a small white porcelain plate of crème fraiche, a sweet onion, a white porcelain square bowl of brown button mushrooms, a handful of flat leaf parsley and a lemon, all set on a grey marble table. — Mushroom velouté ingredients: Brown button mushrooms, sweet onion, lemon, milk, crème fraiche, plain flour and flat leaf parsley

For a four person sizing, I used:

A tray of brown button mushrooms (roughly 250g)
300 ml of milk
2 tablespoons of plain flour
2 tablespoons of crème fraiche
A medium sweet onion
A lemon
Two branches of flat leaf parsley
Pepper
Salt.

To increase the flavors of the mushroom velouté, make sure to add onion or garlic and spices à volonté.

Picture from above of a saucepan filled with chopped and browned brown button mushrooms, a chopped and browned sweet onion and minced flat leaf parsley, all set on a grey marble table. — Mushroom velouté: Browning the ingredients

Begin by chopping the sweet onion and brown button mushrooms in the size of your liking. Put the sweet onion in the saucepan, on medium heat, with a very small portion of butter. Once it starts to change color (getting a bit more yellowy), add the chopped button mushrooms in the saucepan and stir.
When the brown mushrooms start to get a little mushy, add the minced flat leaf parsley and the lemon juice. A bit of salt and pepper will also do the trigger. After a few minutes of stirring, put the saucepan to low heat, add the plain flour, the crème fraîche and milk. Let everything simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Picture of a beaker filled with the chopped and browned brown button mushrooms, sweet onion and flat leaf parsley to which was added in the sauce pan, on low heat, the plain flour, crème fraîche, milk and lemon juice, next to a hand blender, all set on a grey marble table. — Mushroom velouté: Blending the velouté

Once it is all cooked (usually in less than 10 minutes), transfer all the ingredients currently in the saucepan into a beaker, to process to the next step of the blender. Blend to your liking! Either with a bit of chunks or completely creamy, anyway, you will find it tasty.

Prepping the A.B.C cocktail

Picture of a shot glass layer filled with amaretto and baileys irish cream next to a shot of cognac and a spoon. — A.B.C cocktail ingredients: Amaretto, baileys irish cream and cognac

For the A.B.C cocktail you will require:

0.5 shot of Amaretto
0.5 shot of Baileys Irish cream liquor
0.5 shot of Cognac VSOP

A shot glass
A Measuring jigger
And a bar spoon.

This 3-layers cocktail, served in a shot glass, takes you through the strength of the cognac before sipping in the sweetness of almond and cream.

The trick to successfully pour an A.B.C. cocktail is to take your time. Carefully pour in a chilled glass and in the following order: the Amaretto, the Baileys Irish cream liquor and the Cognac VSOP. Slowly add each new layer in drips with the help of the back of a regular spoon, a bar spoon or any layering barware.

Repeat of the first picture of the article in a slightly different picture format: shot glass of A.B.C cocktail (in the left front corner) in front of three individual size serving bowls of mushroom velouté adorned with a slice of brown mushroom and pink straws (in the right bottom corner) on a brown wooden table. — A.B.C cocktail and Mushroom velouté

Now take a step back, look at those beautiful layers, clap yourself on the back and enjoy your drink!

As the Christmas countdown has started over here on Undercovertoad the blog, don’t forget to check the first treat on the advent calendar. ‘Tis that time of the year!