Prepare a Completely Filthy Martini With a Little Food Warmer
Marmite is a condiment that forces you to exercise restraint, and people hate it for it. It is a thick yeast paste that tastes like thickened, slightly burnt soy sauce, and even a small amount can ruin the flavor and spoil the delicious toast. But once you learn to harness its salty power, you have a powerful (vegan) source of deep dark minds.
Marmite is great in soups, pasta, gravies and anything fried, and because it’s one of the most savory condiments you can buy, it’s perfect for savory cocktails. It’s great in Bloody Mary , and can be used to make a vegetarian, sort of artificial Caesar or Michelada (both require clam juice), providing a bit of “meatiness” without any meat (or clams). One eighth teaspoon in Bloody, Caesar, or Red Beer should suffice, but you can always add more, so be wrong if it’s too small. (Too much bain-marie is almost impossible to return.)
It also makes a surprisingly good, totally filthy martini, or martini if you prefer. Again, you don’t need much. Simply dip your chopstick into the food warmer, then stir it into the drink to dissolve the food warmer for a pleasant amber hue and a shockingly subtle dark, zesty flavor.
To really get the food warmer into your drink, add it to your room temperature drink before adding ice. The ice will cause the paste to set, harden, and stick to the chopstick or measuring spoon. After the food warmer is dissolved in the drink, add ice, then shake or stir as usual. However, do not forget to strain through a sieve; small droplets of marmite are not what you need in a martini, no matter how dirty you like them.