While cocktail historians can’t agree on exactly who created the bloody mary, you don’t have to look far to see that the hangover cure has evolved from a study in simplicity (just vodka, tomato juice, lemon) to a picture of excess. Remember when your hangover cure came with nothing more than a celery stalk swizzle? Today you can find bloody marys garnished with everything from steak and sliders to lobster tails and sushi rolls.
But that’s just part of the story.
Did you know that bloody mary mix, whether store-bought or homemade, can stand in for tomato juice in recipes? I sure didn’t. Not until AJC Food and Dining Editor Ligaya Figueras told me about a Brunswick hot spot that uses Zing Zang mixer in its famous house chili. Now I confess I did a bit of eye-rolling when Ligaya broached the topic. But it didn’t take long for the bloody-mary lover in me to come around. Maybe a glug or two of Mr and Mrs T is what plain ole chili con carne and Andalusian gazpacho have been lacking all these years.
To get the recipe ideas rolling, I reached out to Nat Hendricks, an Atlanta native who has turned his father’s 55-year-old recipe for bloody mary mix into a sought-after bespoke brand that tastes good all by itself. Sister’s Sauce, founded in 2015 and named after the family’s first Llewellin setter, is used by such tony establishments as the Garden & Gun Club in Atlanta; Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, North Carolina; and Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee.
“I have played around and put some in chili,” said Hendricks, 38, whose 12-year-old Millie and 7-year-old Mose are seventh- and eighth-generation descendants of Sister. Apparently, his family is as devoted to food as they are to raising bird dogs. As a kid, Nat enjoyed sandwiches of pate on country French bread while his classmates ate Lunchables. His mother, Kathy, is a student of French cuisine and used to teach cooking classes in their Ansley Park home. His father, Pete, always gave the bloody mary tutorial.
To Hendricks, Sister’s Sauce is too nuanced to enhance a bold dish like chili. “But something more delicate or lighter like a gazpacho, I think you kind of get to taste those flavors,” he said.
Many bloody mary mixes (including Sister’s) contain horseradish; it’s a flavor profile that marries well with seafood. I’d be inclined, then, to use a mixer to make a Mexican seafood cocktail (in which shrimp, oysters, octopus, etc., are served floating in a soupy sauce and eaten with a spoon). Or perhaps a seafood chowder or stew like cioppino. Minestrone and ribollita not so much.
As it turns out, Kathy Hendricks loves to pair tomato aspic with pickled shrimp and homemade mayonnaise, for an elegant appetizer. The Hendrickses graciously adapted their aspic recipe with Sister’s Sauce, and shared it with me to try. I didn’t have the wherewithal to pickle shrimp and whip up mayo on the fly, so it was plain old Duke’s mayo for me. Divine!
Now back to chili: Brian Bartels, author of “The Bloody Mary” (Tenspeed Press, $18.99), a delightful volume that pairs the history of the famous drink with 50 wonderful recipes, told me he hasn’t come across anyone who cooks with the cocktail mix. But he’s hip to the idea. “I would definitely put some in a homemade chili if I make one this winter!” he said via email. “Sounds delicious.”
Indeed, I had wonderful results with the chili recipes I concocted with Mr and Mrs T, which apparently does not contain horseradish. The sausage chili recipe published here is nicely sweet and tangy; the beef version I improvised with just a pinch of warm spice (cinnamon, clove, allspice) was also seriously good. I even figured out a ratio for making chili with bloody mary mix: For every 1 pound of ground meat, add one 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes and two cups of mix.
Would I run out and buy a mix to make chili? Probably not. But it’s a brilliant way to use up that bottle of mixer in the back of your fridge. Maybe pour yourself a final drink while the pot simmers.
RECIPES
Who knew bloody mary mix is the secret ingredient of many a pot of chili and tomato soup? You may also use the sauce in cold items such as aspic, gazpacho, dips and dressings. Maybe you’d like to stir up your own batch, or set up a bloody mary bar at your Super Bowl party (live or virtual). We provide a recipe for that, too.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Bloody Mary Chili
This recipe is a loose adaptation of Ohio Farmhouse Sausage Chili, from “The Joy of Cooking.” You may substitute beef, turkey, chicken or any combination thereof for the pork sausage. If you are having a chili party, we suggest setting out lots of toppings, such as grated cheddar, sour cream, scallions and raw or pickled jalapeno.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Sister’s Sauce Awesome Aspic
Hands down, Sister’s Sauce is the best store-bought bloody mary mix I’ve tried. This recipe is from the family of Sister’s Sauce owner Nat Hendricks. You can find Sister’s Sauce at Ansley Wine Merchants, Elemental Spirits, Lucy’s Market and Star Provisions. Or use any bloody mary mix of choice (including the DIY version included here).
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
DIY Bloody Mary Mix
While store-bought bloody mary mix can be used in numerous hot and cold dishes, perhaps you’d like to concoct your own. To make a bloody, combine 3 ounces of mix with 2 ounces of vodka; shake and serve over ice with your preferred accouterment (celery stalks, olives, pickled okra, lemon, lime, etc.). If you think you might be using leftover mix to cook dishes that don’t have a classic bloody mary profile, we suggest leaving out the horseradish. Just add prepared horseradish when you make your cocktail.
— Adapted from “The Bloody Mary” by Brian Bartels (Tenspeed Press, $18.99)
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