Thai Bloody Mary

My husband has become obsessed with grilling. It started last summer, when we bought a tiny Weber charcoal grill to use on our balcony. Suddenly the man who never cooked anything other than scrambled eggs was smoking brisket and developing his own secret recipe for ribs that requires two days of work. As a pescatarian, I haven't exactly been reaping all of the benefits of this culinary renaissance, but he does make a mean veggie kabob, and we've been experimenting with more and more seafood (grilled octopus = YUM). Most recently, we got our hands on a whole fish and decided to try and grill it in the same style as the fish we often had in Thailand when we were there several years ago. I made a sauce for it by mashing together various recipes I found online, using lots of lime, peppers, lemongrass, cilantro, and fish sauce.

I was skeptical about the fish sauce, and if you're at all familiar with this product, you probably know why. Fish sauce is not named because it's meant to be used on fish, but rather because it's made from fish. Fish that is mixed with salt and allowed to ferment, then squeezed to extract all of the liquid that the salt leeches out of it. Fish sauce is basically rotted fish juice. And that's kind of what it tastes and smells like.

After this lovely description, you might be thinking you would rather pass on the fish sauce, but you've probably already had it and liked it - it's a major ingredient in the sauce that goes on Pad Thai, which is why we had a bottle to begin with. And for something that would probably make you gag if you tried it on its own, fish sauce can be a surprisingly delicious addition to a recipe. When the intense taste is mixed with other ingredients, it provides a delicious savory flavor. It was fantastic in the sauce I made that night, and it suddenly hit me that it would be awesome in a Bloody Mary.

Thus the Thai Bloody Mary was born. Taking inspiration from the sauce I made for our fish, I flavored the tomato juice with cilantro, serrano pepper, lime juice, and fish sauce. It's savory, tangy, and absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge Bloody Mary fan - I kind of need to be in the mood for one - but I could guzzle these. Without the vodka, that would probably be pretty healthy, actually. (But much less fun.)

And of course the best part about a Bloody Mary is the garnish. I finished these with cilantro, pickled bean sprouts, shrimp, and a brush of Cajun seasoning (an alternative to using it around the rim that is much more photogenic but much less practical). The bean sprouts in particular are pretty fabulous, and the shrimp taste amazing dipped in the cocktail. All in all I'm quite proud of this one, and I hope you give it a try!

Thai Bloody Mary

1 1/2 oz. vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 inch section of serrano pepper, sliced
For garnish: fresh cilantro, pickled bean sprouts*, shrimp**, Cajun seasoning

Combine tomato juice, lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, and serrano pepper in a food processor and blend until the cilantro and pepper are pureed into tiny pieces. The mixture may foam a bit; let it settle and then stir it gently to recombine the ingredients.

To prepare the glass, take a pastry brush and dip it lightly in lime juice or water. Shaking off the excess, wipe it across the side of a rocks glass and over the rim. Then roll the glass in Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's). Fill the glass with ice and add the vodka. Pour in the tomato mixture and stir gently. Garnish with fresh cilantro, pickled bean sprouts, and shrimp.

*For the bean sprouts, I adapted this recipe for Dua Gia from Girl Cooks World. Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool completely, then pour over bean sprouts and stir. Let sit for at least an hour.

**For the shrimp, I briefly sauteed them in some olive oil with a dash of Tony Chachere's. This can be done in the shells or peeled.