Dirty Martini Shrimp and Steak

Date night dinners are back

It’s been a while since I came out with a date night dinner worthy dish. I feel like summer dishes abide by the saying “the simpler the better” which rings true because everything is so fresh and in season. However the weather is shifting so we are taking a traditional surf and turf combo and dressing it up with just a few easily accessible ingredients. You can use this surf and turf combo as a first date, second date, or just any date night in between.

Over the weekend I saw Martha Stewart make a post about what kitchen skills you should master before the big 3-0 (which if you didn’t know I am 29 so this post truly spoke to me). One of those skills being how to make the perfect cocktail. Luckily for me after 6 years of bartending I think I have mastered that skill, however I fell short in the perfect homemade pie crust category(whoops). BUT I will happily assist you with checking off the perfect cocktail category. Here are my tips for the absolute best dirty martini.

First and foremost, do not buy the pre-bottled brine. I have never found one that actually tasted fresh. For my dirty martinis, I love using castelvetrano olives. They have a mild, buttery and bright taste. The brine is perfection.

Secondly, you can opt out of dry vermouth but I actually love to either rinse the glass with vermouth or add just a small splash to my martini shaker. Vermouth gets a bad rap but it actually adds botanicals and aromatics which lighten up the martini a bit. Also a very common mistake that is made is when you open any vermouth sweet or dry, it must be refrigerated after opening to remain fresh and consistent in flavor.

Thirdly, the two martini rule should also be observed unless you’re looking to spend your evening next to the porcelain thrown.