Wild Garlic Brine Martini with Sous-Vide Spring Pea Gin and Cucumber Air

Ingredients

• ▸300 ml London dry gin (botanical, preferably with floral notes), chilled
• ▸150 g fresh spring peas, shelled (frozen acceptable if thawed completely)
• ▸30 ml wild garlic brine (from a jar of pickled wild garlic leaves or ramps, strained)
• ▸15 ml dry Irish vermouth (check gluten-free certification)
• ▸10 ml fresh lemon juice, strained
• ▸5 ml agave syrup
• ▸1 whole cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• ▸2 g soy lecithin powder (or sunflower lecithin for soy-free)
• ▸1 pinch fine sea salt
• ▸6 wild garlic leaves or ramp leaves, for garnish
• ▸4 fresh pea shoots, for garnish
• ▸Ice, for chilling and stirring

Instructions

1. 1

   1. SOUS-VIDE THE PEA GIN — Set your immersion circulator to 57°C (135°F). Combine the chilled gin and fresh spring peas in a zip-lock or vacuum-seal bag, removing as much air as possible. Seal tightly and submerge in the water bath for 2 hours. The low temperature extracts chlorophyll and sugars without cooking off volatile aromatics or degrading the gin's botanicals. The liquid will turn an almost aggressive neon green.

2. 2

   2. STRAIN AND CHILL — Remove the bag from the water bath and immediately transfer to an ice bath for 10 minutes to halt any residual heat extraction. Strain the pea-infused gin through a fine mesh sieve lined with a damp muslin cloth or coffee filter, pressing gently on the solids. Discard the spent peas (or blend into a soup — waste nothing). Refrigerate the pea gin until ice cold, at least 20 minutes.

3. 3

   3. MAKE THE CUCUMBER AIR BASE — Blitz the chopped cucumber in a blender until completely liquid, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing firmly. You need approximately 150 ml of clear cucumber juice. Season with a pinch of sea salt and the agave syrup, stir to dissolve. Whisk in the soy lecithin powder until fully incorporated — about 1 minute of vigorous whisking. Set aside at room temperature.

4. 4

   4. BUILD THE CUCUMBER AIR — Using a hand immersion blender held at a 45-degree angle at the surface of the cucumber-lecithin mixture, blitz on high speed for 30–45 seconds, incorporating air until a stable foam forms on top. The lecithin acts as an emulsifier, binding air bubbles to the water molecules in the cucumber juice. Scoop off only the lightest, most stable foam from the top and place in a small chilled bowl. Keep at room temperature — it will hold for about 10 minutes.

5. 5

   5. CHILL YOUR COUPES — Fill two coupe glasses with ice water and let them sit while you prepare the cocktail. Cold glass = less dilution = more control. Non-negotiable.

6. 6

   6. BUILD AND STIR THE MARTINI — In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine 120 ml of the pea-infused gin, the dry vermouth, wild garlic brine, and fresh lemon juice. Stir with a bar spoon for 45 seconds — slow, deliberate rotations. You want dilution and chill without agitation, which would cloud the drink and break the green colour. The brine introduces glutamates that round out the vegetal sharpness of the pea gin.

7. 7

   7. STRAIN AND SERVE — Discard the ice water from your coupe glasses. Double-strain the martini through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer simultaneously into the chilled coupes. The liquid should be jewel-bright and deeply green.

8. 8

   8. FLOAT THE CUCUMBER AIR — Using a large spoon, gently lay a generous mound of cucumber lecithin foam on top of each martini. Work quickly and confidently — hesitation means collapsed foam.

9. 9

   9. GARNISH — Drape one wild garlic leaf over the rim of each glass and tuck two pea shoots into the foam so they stand upright. Serve immediately, instructing your guest to sip through the foam so the cool cucumber air meets the briny green martini in the same mouthful.

Variations

• ◆SMOKY BOG VERSION: Swap the dry vermouth for a small measure of Irish peated whiskey (just 5 ml) and add a charred scallion to the sous-vide bag alongside the peas — it reads as turf fire meets spring meadow, which is extremely Irish and extremely correct.
• ◆NO-ALCOHOL SPRING GARDEN SMASH: Replace the gin with a cold-brewed green tea made with 2 bags of Japanese sencha steeped in cold water for 4 hours, and sous-vide with the peas as directed. The tannins in the tea mimic gin's drying quality. Use white grape juice in place of vermouth.
• ◆OYSTER LEAF DIRTY TWIST: Float a single oyster leaf (Mertensia maritima) on the cucumber air — this edible plant tastes exactly like a fresh oyster and pushes the brine element into full coastal Irish territory. Pair with an actual dirty martini-style extra splash of wild garlic brine.