Cocoa Dusk

01

What you’ll need

• 1 medium very ripe banana (about 120 g peeled), sliced into 1 cm coins
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, divided
• 10 g food-grade cacao husks
• 250 ml boiling filtered water
• 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 60 ml unsalted aquafaba from a can of chickpeas, well chilled
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1 small pinch fine sea salt
• 12 large ice cubes, for shaking
• 2 unsweetened dehydrated banana coins, for garnish
• 1 tsp cacao nibs, finely chopped, for garnish

02

Mix the drink

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a small tray with parchment. Toss the banana slices with 2 teaspoons of the maple syrup, spread in a single layer and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden at the edges. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. While the banana roasts, put the cacao husks in a heatproof jug and pour over the boiling water. Steep for 12 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter. Measure 180 ml of the cacao-husk tea and chill it completely; reserve any extra for another drink.
3. Blend the cooled roasted banana with the 180 ml chilled cacao-husk tea, lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon maple syrup, allspice and sea salt until completely smooth.
4. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon. Chill the strained roasted-banana base for at least 25 minutes. It should be refrigerator-cold before shaking.
5. For each drink, add half of the chilled banana base and 30 ml aquafaba to a cocktail shaker with 6 large ice cubes. Shake hard for 12 seconds to chill and dilute.
6. Strain out the ice, return the drink to the empty shaker and dry-shake vigorously for 20 seconds to build a fine, stable foam. Repeat with the second serving.
7. Double-strain each drink immediately through a fine tea strainer into a chilled coupe, dividing the foam evenly between the glasses.