Lafayette’s Cajun Margaritas

Tide and Thyme

Cajun Margaritas

Any True Blood fans out there? It’s an HBO series set in the heart of Louisiana. A synthetic blood has been created, and vampires have been able to “come out of the coffin”, as it were, and live among us. Where there’s one, there is usually more, and lots of other supernatural characters have been introduced – werewolves, shape shifters, ancient fire gods. In a world full of junky, reality TV – it’s nice to have a television program that’s still scripted! This past Sunday was the Season 5 finale, and it didn’t disappoint. My favorite character, Lafayette – who is a gay Voodoo priest/medium, in addition to a line cook, made some delectable looking Cajun Margaritas for the waitresses after their shift ended. I love margaritas, and I love the flavors and feelings that go along with anything Cajun. I couldn’t wait to make them! Most recipes I found online simply called for the addition of hot sauce to make it Cajun, but that just sounded lame. Then, I remembered the strawberry-infused vodka I had made earlier in the year. Why not do the same with chile peppers and tequila? It’s an extra step that takes a day or so, but man oh man. It’s so amazing how liquor can leech all the qualities from something into itself. After only an overnight soaking of jalapenos and serranos in a Mason jar full of tequila, it had a lot of heat to it. We’ve made a Habenero IPA before, that we really liked. It’s so wild to take a drink, and feel the heat in your blood. This margarita gives it to you! I’ve never been a blended marg gal, but I liked it here. Almost like a fire & ice thing going on. Jon and I both really enjoyed them, he drank virtually the whole pitcher. Which, isn’t like him – he’s a beer guy. So, if you’re looking for something a little bit different to go on this long weekend’s menu, add these to the menu. A little heat to close out this last week of summer!  Print Lafayette’s Cajun Margaritas 4 oz. chile-infused tequila (optional 3 oz. orange liqueur 3 oz. margarita mix 1 tsp. hot sauce 2 cups ice chile peppers and lime slices, for garnish salt For the chile-infused tequila: 5 jalapeno peppers, halved 5 serrano peppers, halved 1 cup tequila For the tequila, combine all ingredients in a jar or bowl. Cover, and let sit at room temperature overnight – or up to a week. When ready to use, strain into bottle or jar and keep in a cool, dark place. To make the margaritas, combine the chile-infused tequila, orange liqueur, margarita mix, hot sauce, and ice in a blender. Cover, and puree for 1 minute, until no chunks of ice remain. Rim margarita glasses with salt, and fill glasses with blended margaritas. Garnish with lime slices and a whole chile pepper.