A blog for innovative, unabashed and delightful cocktails. All posted recipes are my original creations. Check out the links for other quality sites that review both classic and hard-to-find recipes from other sources.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Mixology Monday: Roasted Bloody Mary

Mixology Monday: Roasted Bloody Mary


Many thanks to Mike McSorley at McSology for hosting April's Mixology Monday. As a home mixologist I haven't experienced the exact scenario he described of having to make a last-call pain in the ass drink, but I certainly have inflicted some high-maintenance drinks on myself and others. I try to think of it more as a tradeoff of trouble for quality, perhaps at least as consolation. My perspective likely would be different if such a drink were keeping me from getting home at night.
The effort in my submission, a variation on a Bloody mary, lies in the tomato base. This freshly roasted and milled sauce is sweet, fresh and complex -- and far better than anything I've tasted in a bottled or canned mix. The following base recipe makes about four cups.


Roasted Tomato-Pepper Base

10 tomatoes
2 red bell peppers

Halve tomatoes. Core, seed and quarter peppers. Arrange peppers and tomatoes skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, reserving any pan juices. Press tomatoes and peppers through a food mill. Combine with reserved juices in a pitcher.


Aside from the base, the drink is true to classic Bloody Mary proportions, which are of course a matter of some debate, with three modest personalizations. With New Orleans still fresh in my memory, I used a liberal amont of Crystal hot sauce. Also, I used the recipe as an excuse to use my new one-handed pepper mill; two pumps did the trick. Finally, I traded celery seed for the celery salt many recipes feature. After all, celery salt is just celery seed with salt, and the recipe already calls for salt.

The complicated but rewarding recipe follows. Cheers!



Roasted Bloody Mary

4 oz roasted tomato-pepper base
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish, to taste
5 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 oz vodka
5 to 10 drops hot sauce, to taste (I used Crystal)
Pinch of celery seed
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Stir ingredients together with ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a celery stalk.

2 comments:

MikeMcSorley said...

Thanks for Participating Shawn!

I love your Pepper Mary! I designed something similar for a private event a year or so! ( but not nearly as homemade and authentic as yours)

I'll have to give this a go this week!

Thanks
Mike

Shawn said...

Thanks Mike! I'd be honored if you'd try it. And thanks again for hosting. It's made for a most entertaining set of posts already.