Got company coming over in exactly a minute, or just a severe case of the munchies? Then this is what you’re looking for.

Our Japanese-language reporter K. Masami had just poured herself a whiskey highball, which ordinarily would be enough to make her happy. However, as she sipped her drink, she couldn’t help thinking she’d be even happier if she had some snacks.

Now, naturally, if you’re half-way through a hard-liquor mixed drink, you’re probably not in the mood to do any intensive work in the kitchen. And yet, Masami wanted something that not only would taste good, but look good too, since she’s a stickler for presentation (as her lovingly taken photos of Japanese Starbucks Frappuccinos attest to).

As luck would have it, though, Nikka, the company that makes the whiskey that had gone into her drink, had a suggestion, and it was everything she was looking for.

That’s the end result of Nikka’s recipe for “Bite-sized Beer Sausage and Cheese Millefeuille,” but don’t let the fancy-sounding “millefeuille” trick you into thinking this is difficult or time-consuming to make. All you need are two ingredients, a pack of ham (“beer sausage” is a term used in Japan for seasoned ham varieties) and a pack of sliced cheese.

Just open both packs up and start stacking the slices one on top of each other, alternating layers of ham and cheese.

Then, grab a knife (make sure your hand/eye coordination is still in good shape if you’ve had multiple highballs already) and slice the stack into squares.

And that’s all there is to it!

The whole thing is done in seconds, making this an almost guilt-inducingly easy snack tray to put together if you’ve got friends coming over or a potluck party to attend. It tasted just like Masami expected it would, rich, meaty and immensely satisfying.

If you want to get more involved, you can sprinkle on some extra black pepper, parsley flakes, or other seasonings, or maybe even add a small drizzle of honey for a sweet and smokey flavor to complement your whiskey.

Of course, with no actual booze in the Bite-sized Beer Sausage and Cheese Millefeuille blocks themselves, this recipe is equally applicable to non-drinking occasions. And if you’re just aching to use whiskey as an ingredient, Nikka has not one, but two great dessert ideas for you.

Photos © SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]