Have you heard of Fernet-Branca? Fernet is an amaro (bitter drink) a variety of Italian herbal liqueur. Fernet-Branca is an Italian brand of Fernet made by the Fratelli Branca distillery. This special concoction is made according a secret recipe, created back in the mid 19th century. This bitter liqueur contains numerous herbs, some of which may include myrrh, peppermint oil, chamomile, cardamom, and saffron. It is commonly drunk as an after-dinner digestif or can be mixed into cocktails or coffee.
If you had too much to eat or drink during the last few days with the Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, and Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday parties, you could definitely use Fernet-Branca. Many claim that it is the best cure for hangover.
Chef Fergus Henderson, a British chef and a founder of St. John Restaurant, has a special recipe he calls "A Miracle" that combines two parts of Fernet-Branca with one part crème de menthe over ice. This cocktail can be used to cure overindulgence, both in eating or drinking.
I have experienced the effects of this Miracle cocktail first hand, and I have to say that it truly does work like magic. Chef Fergus Henderson has influenced and inspired many young chefs, including one of our favorites, Tarver King, who was Head Chef at the 5-Star Dining Room at Woodlands in Summerville, South Carolina, at the time we visited it, about three and a half years ago.
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It was my 30th birthday, September 2006, and we had a very special Chef's table dinner at the Dining Room at Woodlands. Being seated right in the kitchen, we had a chance to to participate in a personalized interaction between our chef, sommelier, and the rest of the team. It was a fantastic experience! Of course, the food was incredible. We had 14 courses total and, I think, because we were at the Chef's table, the portions were quite a bit more generous than the regular small tasting portions at the restaurants of this level.
The 14 courses comprised: an amuse bouche; a "Crispy" Carpaccio of Local Swordfish; "Ice Cubes" of crunchy iceberg lettuce with Colston Bassett cheese, buttermilk emulsion, and smoked salt; Spanish White Gazpacho with almond sorbet and banyuls vinegar; "Omelet" of San Marzano Tomato and Vidalia Onion Hollandaise; "Caramelized" Diver Scallops with finocchiona, lemon vinaigrette, parsnip butter, and radicchio, Tomato Tart Tatin with Maine Lobster and roasted olive "Aigre-Doux" and arugula; Seared Hognose Snapper with Moromi butter, Carolina gold rice, and "hot and sour" eggplant; Seared Foie Gras with chic pea "Panise", Bosc pear, and Guanciale vinaigrette; Hay Smoked Maple Leaf Duckling; Snake River Kobe Beef with Pomme Gateau and Sauce "Choron"; Chevre de Chaput with roasted beets and Fire Fly Vodka Gelee; Minted Fruit Broth; and Poppyseed Chiffon Cake with strawberry-bergamot panna cotta and vanilla yogurt sorbet.
The lobster, poached in butter "at the last minute" was the best we've ever had. It was also the most generous portion of lobster we ever had anywhere. By the time the duck was served, we were feeling very full and we were only about halfway done with our meal. I especially was so full I started to feel a little faint.
Thankfully, Tarver made us the Miracle drink consisting of Ferne-Branca, that he learned from Chef Fergus Henderson during his time in London. I was a little skeptical that this drink with minty and mysterious refreshing taste would actually work. However, literally two minutes after I finished the cocktail, I felt absolutely fine and even kind of hungry. We were able to finish our dinner including desserts and did not even feel too full at the end. The miracle drink really did work!
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I was very happy to receive the samples of Fernet-Branca recently and to discover that I can purchase it at my local liquor store. When served "neat", Fernet-Branca tastes medicinal and somewhat bitter, reminiscent of herbal liqueurs like Killepitsch. However, its effects can best be enjoyed in cocktail form, and the "Miracle" cocktail combining two parts of Fernet-Branca with one part crème de menthe over ice is both refreshing and really works as a cure for over indulgence!
