Border Grill Bloody Mary

Name: Border Grill Bloody Mary
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: 8 tomatillos, peeled and stemmed; 2 large cucumbers, sliced; 2 large jalapeños, stemmed; 8 cups tomato juice; 1 ⁄ 4 cup fresh lime juice, plus wedges for rimming glasses; 2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish; 2 tbsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco, plus more to taste; 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp. ground celery seed; Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 ⁄ 4 cup celery salt, for glasses; 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped; 2 cups gin or vodka (optional); Celery stalks and hard-boiled quail's eggs (optional), peeled, for garnish

Serves
serves 8

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARIANA LINDQUIST

Spicy tomatillo and cucumber ice cubes chill this twist on the classic brunch drink from chef Mary Sue Milliken's Los Angeles restaurant Border Grill. This recipe first appeared in our November 2013 issue along with the story State of Grace.

Ingredients

For the Ice Cubes

8 tomatillos, peeled and stemmed
2 large cucumbers, sliced
2 large jalapeños, stemmed

For the Drinks

8 cups tomato juice
¹⁄₄ cup fresh lime juice, plus wedges for rimming glasses
2 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish
2 tbsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco, plus more to taste
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground celery seed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¹⁄₄ cup celery salt, for glasses
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and finely chopped
2 cups gin or vodka (optional)
Celery stalks and hard-boiled quail's eggs (optional), peeled, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Make the ice cubes: Purée tomatillos, cucumbers, and jalapeños in a blender until smooth. Strain though a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.

Step 2

Make the drink: Stir tomato juice, lime juice, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, celery seed, salt, and pepper in a large glass pitcher. To serve, mix celery salt and bacon on a plate. Rub lime wedges around rims of 8 glasses and dip in bacon mixture. Place 4 tomatillo ice cubes in each glass and pour bloody mary mixture over. Top each glass with 2 oz. gin or vodka and garnish with celery stalk and a quail's egg, if you like. Add more hot sauce, to taste.

Make the ice cubes: Purée tomatillos, cucumbers, and jalapeños in a blender until smooth. Strain though a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Make the drink: Stir tomato juice, lime juice, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, celery seed, salt, and pepper in a large glass pitcher. To serve, mix celery salt and bacon on a plate. Rub lime wedges around rims of 8 glasses and dip in bacon mixture. Place 4 tomatillo ice cubes in each glass and pour bloody mary mixture over. Top each glass with 2 oz. gin or vodka and garnish with celery stalk and a quail's egg, if you like. Add more hot sauce, to taste.