The Bloody Mary is probably the most popular brunch cocktail in the United States and with good reason; spiced-up tomato juice and vodka garnished with a stalk of celery—the classic version—is a perfect weekend pick-me-up. There are many variations of the Bloody Mary that contain everything from beer to beef bouillon. My version has a southwestern theme, where roasted tomatillo sauce—spiked with vinegar and pickled horseradish—joins tomato juice to give the drink great body while adding a slightly tart, slightly smoky flavor.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 8

　　6 cups tomato juice

　　1 1/2 cups Stolichnaya or other good vodka

　　Tomatillo Sauce (recipe follows)

　　Juice of 2 lemons

　　Juice of 3 limes

　　Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

　　Few dashes of Frank’s RedHot or other hot sauce

　　2 tablespoons smoked sweet Spanish paprika

　　2 teaspoons celery salt

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne

　　Celery stalks, for garnish

　　

TOMATILLO SAUCE

4 large tomatillos, husked and rinsed

　　1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped

　　1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and chopped

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

　　2 tablespoons honey

　　1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained

　　6 fresh spinach leaves

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

　　(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

　　

Step 1

Whisk together the tomato juice, vodka, tomatillo sauce, lemon and lime juices, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, paprika, celery salt, and cayenne in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours. Serve with celery stalks.

　　

TOMATILLO SAUCE

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 3

Toss the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño with the oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the mixture is soft but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the vinegar, honey, horseradish, spinach, and cilantro and pulse just to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson PotterBOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.