A lazy retard and a grilled Mojito chicken by Jan Ohrt

Rum blogger Jan Ohrt has been on a trip to Mauritius, where he met a lazy dumb bird and dipped a chicken in some local rum before grilling it.

Post by Jan Ohrt

In Mauritius, there once lived an approximately 1 meter tall, 20 kilogram bird that could not fly. Although the dodo has been extinct for 330 years and is generally considered a fat, lazy and clumsy bird, Mauritians love it very much and still cherish it as a national treasure, so much so that they have nicknamed it the dodo. This name, it is believed, comes from the old Portuguese "dodou", which translates best to the Danish word sinke. Now, descriptions from that time do speak of a naive and stupid bird, but in the Dodo's defense, it had lived a safe and harmless life for centuries and was completely fearless of the humans that suddenly started swarming the island. It is not believed that these newly arrived sailors were directly responsible for the extinction of the dodo, as they quickly discovered that the dodo's tough meat was largely inedible and tasted mostly like cod liver oil. The cause is more likely to be found in the imported pigs and monkeys that preyed on the nests on the ground of the poor birds, who had never learned to be afraid of anything.

Lazy Dodo XO Chronicles, Mauritius. 40%
Like many other tropical islands with a maritime history, Mauritius has a long tradition of making good rum, and today we're going to meet two of them, one of them even named after their mythical national bird, and I'll start with that one, Lazy Dodo XO Chronicles, 40%. This rum is produced at Grays in the northern part of the country on a Coffey column and then stored well out of the way for at least 13 years in French oak in the form of former bourbon and cognac barrels and then blended into what the producer himself calls an extremely balanced and well-structured rum made from the best vintages.

The nose is already promising with a mild bouquet of ripe peach and orange that slowly slides into caramel with a hint of fresh mint. More earthy notes such as oak and lemongrass slowly emerge along with a delicate hint of bergamot. This bodes very well.

When it first hits the tongue, you may be a little confused by this already highly praised rum. At first glance, it seems to have as much explosiveness as the extinct bird it is named after. There's absolutely no speed at all and you think, is this really it? But then it gathers wonderfully in your mouth with a bombardment of quirky notes ranging from pretty much the entire palette of citrus fruits to a whole forest of oak and exotic woods gently infused with a little burnt caramel. It becomes a pleasant and friendly refuge where you can easily enjoy life for an hour or two.

Would I buy another bottle of Lazy Dodo XO Chronicles 40%?
I don't think so Maybe I would Probably I would Yes

New Grove Plantation Rum, Mauritius. 40%
We're staying on the island for a little while longer but taking a big jump in terms of genre, color and price with a bottle of New Grove Plantation also from Grays in Mauritius. This rum is crystal clear and bottled in an elegant and simple bottle, it signals no-bullshit and that's what it delivers throughout. None of the great experiences but a 100% honest appearance that can only give it a little sympathy and respect.

The nose is a bit as expected with lots of raw white molasses and caramel as in a thick syrup. Little by little, something resembling a candied apple from childhood amusement parks is detected, but also some burnt plastic and a little welding flame. And at the very end, the carnival ride is rounded off with some fresh popcorn.
This rum is surprisingly sweet on the palate, giving a pleasant oily sensation with a slight hint of smoke that makes you think of a much older rum than the color indicates. The flavor is predominantly apple or quince with sweet cherries appearing in the background and towards the very end, you can find both sweet love fruit and rosewater. As I said, this is a straightforward product that can easily be enjoyed as a sensible white after-dinner drink, but I'm sure it's as a mixer that this little white rum really comes into its own.

Would I buy another bottle New Grove Plantation 40%?
I don't think so Maybe I would Probably I would Yes, probably

As usual, it's not just about alcohol, we also need to eat. And this time I have chosen to use New Grove to both pour into the food and to drink on the side. Also because the price of Lazy Dodo XO Chronicles will make the application here a bit decadent, but of course we have to have a little bird to honor the national treasure from Mauritius

Grilled Mojito Chicken:
12 chicken tenderloins or four breast fillets cut in half.
Juice of two limes.
1 dl. New Grove Plantation Rum.
4 tbsp. freshly chopped mint.
2 tbsp. cane sugar syrup.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

1. Trim and clean the chicken meat.
2. Whisk the marinade ingredients together, making sure the syrup is well whisked out.
3. Place the chicken fillets in a freezer bag, add the marinade and close the bag tightly.
4. Massage the marinade well into the chicken and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours. Longer if you have the time.
5. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place on a hot grill or grill pan and cook until just cooked through. This will take about 10 minutes, depending on how hot the grill or pan is.

Serve with a freshly made Mojito:
5 cl. light rum.
1 tsp. sugar.
1 handful of fresh mint leaves (at least 10 leaves).
1 organic lime, cut into wedges.
2 dl. crushed ice cubes.
A little sparkling water to top with.

Put the mint, half of the lime wedges and sugar in a glass and use a pestle to muddle it well so that the mint releases a lot of juice and flavor and the sugar almost dissolves.
Pour rum into the glass, stir well and then fill the glass with crushed ice cubes. Top with sparkling water and garnish with straws, lime wedges and mint leaves on top before serving.

Cheers and enjoy!

Relaterede produkter

Lazy Dodo XO Chronicles Grays Mauritius Island Single Estate Rum 70 cl 40%

EUR 134,00

New Grove Plantation Mauritius White Rum 40%

EUR 33,50