I’ve been reading a lot lately about bitters.  That small bottle of bitter-tasting, botanical extract used in classic cocktails like the Sazerac, Champagne Cocktail, Manhattan and of course, the Old-fashioned. What I have been reading however, peaked my interest because it had to do with using bitters in actual food recipes, not just those classic cocktails that we know and love.  The first idea I decided to try was adding a teaspoon of orange-flavored bitters into a simple vinaigrette.  The botanical and orange taste of this particular variety of bitters pairs very well with rich sherry vinegar and quality olive oil.  That whisked together with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzled over a simple salad of watercress, fresh fennel and orange slices was simply eye-opening.  The distinctive taste of the bitters in the vinaigrette added a fragrant and flavorful ‘wow-factor’ to an otherwise simple salad.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: bitters, olive oil, orange bitters, orange bitters vinaigrette, Salad, salad dressing, sherry vinegar, vinaigrette