A buddy recently returned from an outstanding redfish outing in Louisiana; this longtime Northern Rockies trout wrangler insisted he’d never had as much fun with a fly rod in his hand than when chasing big reds and specks with Lucas Bissett.
Said buddy runs a pretty straight-laced household back home in a large intermountain city which shall remain nameless, but he’s partial to imbibing occasionally when traveling, and insisted this Blue Smoke Bloody Mary was the best he’d ever had.
It might be in part due to the fact that he now thinks insists that Louisiana truly is ‘The Sportsmen’s Paradise” as their license plates used to read, though it’s really most likely the brines and the touch of magic from Zatarain’s crab boil (we keep a box in reserve at all times as you never know when a couple of pounds of fresh gulf shrimp are going to show up unexpectedly).
New Year’s Day (next Monday) is also Bloody Mary Day here in the states; this one perhaps needs to sort to the top of your list…
2 quarts good tomato juice
1/2 cup pickled okra brine
1/2 cup Spanish olive brine
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup prepared horseradish (might want more)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp celery seeds
1 tbsp + 1 tsp chipotle tabasco or other hot sauce
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp (or a tad more) Zatarain’s crab boil (the powdered one)
4 cups vodkaGarnish: pickled okra or green beens, celery stalks, etc.
Combine everything but the vodka and your garnish of choice, stir or whisk well, and chill at least two hours, but it’s probably better overnight.
When ready to serve, add the vodka to the mix, stir well to mix, and serve in your (cocktail) glass of choice (over ice or not) and garnish away.
Happy New Year (early).
