For the International Women’s Day every restaurateur can organize events and evenings dedicated to women. A good idea is to create a menu with the mimosa, both real and recreated with the methods we will see. Here, therefore, an ad hoc menu for March 8, to use in your businesses.
The Mimosa cocktail is a variation of Bellini, Rossini or Tintoretto. It is very simple and does not require the use of mimosa, which is also a rather tasty flower (and we’ll talk about it later). Mimosa was born at the Ritz in Paris in 1925, almost at the same time as Buck’s Fizz. The two cocktails differ in the percentage of orange juice, higher in the Buck’s Fizz of 1921 compared to Mimosa. Besides, Grand Marnier is often added in the Buck’s cocktail preparation.
Preparing the Mimosa is very simple: 7cl prosecco (or better champagne) and 3cl orange juice. The presence of the orange makes it one of the most loved cocktails by Americans for brunch.
The meal: can mimosa flowers be used?
As we anticipated, mimosa flowers are not unpleasant to eat. Their use, however, is not frequent, although the taste is not very bitterish (there is only a bit of bitterness in the aftertaste) and reminds the chamomile. Someone even thinks that chamomile flowers are delicious. Be careful, however, because only the flowers are edible. The leaves cannot be eaten. Also, you should know where the mimosa is grown: the edible ones cannot be bought by florists, as they are treated with harmful chemical agents. Do not even use those that grow spontaneously at the edges of the busy roads, which are subjected to the pollutants.
So, how can the flowers be replaced?
The most used method is to chop the boiled egg yolk. Alternatively, you can use the sponge cake, which is the main ingredient of cakes and puffs with the mimosa. A good compromise, to use mimosa flowers, is to use them as a support and mixed with sponge cake.
There are various appetizers and the first that can be created by using mimosa, either the flower or the eggs or sponge cake. The yellow which is the typical color of the mimosa, symbol of March 8, is clearly the protagonist.
An example of an appetizer is indeed the sandwiches or the savory mimosa cake. Of course, there are possibilities for menus both meat and fish based, and mimosa can be used both in its fake version and as an ornament, using the real flower.
Concerning the first courses, however, the “mimosa” dishes can be a lot. Pasta, among other things, does not dominate it, since rice and gnocchi are not very used.
An example, in fact, is the mimosa gnocchi, in which saffron would give a yellow color to the dish. Then, the fusilli with “Eggs-mimosa” (there are also those who prefer tagliatelle over fusilli), which revisit the carbonara with the use of hard-boiled eggs (the ones we have described before, in which the boiled yolk is minced and used as a seasoning and garnish).
Another good idea for a first course suitable for March 8 (therefore, yellow of course), is the Mimosa tagliatelle.
400 g tagliatelle, 170 g cocoa butter, 20 g mimosa flowers, 22 g lemon peel, Pain brioche to taste.
While boiling the water for the pasta, melt the cocoa butter in a pan with the mimosa flowers and lemon (note: be careful to where you buy the mimosa flowers: they should be organic and not treated at all). Once mixed, shake them in a thermomix at 50 ° C. Immediately after cook the pasta and add the preparation. Once is done, serve everything with sifted pain brioche and garnish with some other mimosa flowers (do not overdo it and remember that this last topping has only aesthetic value).
Regarding the second courses, the good idea is to try to cook a mimosa chicken, taken from Indian cuisine and mixed to Italian flavors. The curry gives the yellow color, and the use of yogurt tempers its taste. If you have a seafood restaurant and want to enhance a nice slice of tuna, however, the good solution is to accompany it with pistachios blanched for a few minutes. Then, after chopping the pistachios, use them to accompany your slice, it is very easy to cook it as you will only need to put it in the oven for 20 ‘at 180 ° C.
Indulge yourself with the side-dishes. The real flower is perfect for vegetables such as broccoli and asparagus, the first panfried with oil and chili; the second sauteed in butter.
The mimosa salad, however, is probably the queen of these creations. Born in Russia, it is made with potatoes, vegetables, egg yolk, fish and eggs, all topped with a hard-boiled egg yolk for the mimosa effect.
Finally, the desserts with the famous mimosa cake. Born in the ’50s in Rieti by the hand of chef Adelmo Renzi, the mimosa cake was created during a pastry contest organized by the city of Sanremo. The garnish with sponge cake was made just to honor the City of Flowers.
The menu of the International Women’s Day can be accompanied by a special bread, a pancake with the mimosa. To do so it is necessary to use only mimosa flowers, and after having washed them, you must prepare a batter with “00” flour or rice flour. Add to this a little bit of Pilsner beer and a pinch of salt. Finally, dip the dough in hot oil and fry them. In the savory version, they are perfect to accompany lunch on March 8 and cheeses such as brie, taleggio, and toma. Those sweets, however, can be sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with sultanas.