Cooking Lesson #231: Sheet-Pan Garlic Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail

… from the California Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? I know what you’re thinking... How are they going to make a cocktail on a sheet-pan? I must say I had my doubts as well. But then I started experimenting in the test kitchen and came up with wonderful roasted tomato Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail.
 
A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Some versions of the drink, such as the "surf 'n turf" Bloody Mary, include shrimp and bacon as garnishes. It is reportedly a popular hangover cure.
 
The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s. There are various theories as to the origin of the drink and its name. It has many variants, most notably the Red Snapper, the Virgin Mary, the Caesar, and the Michelada.
 
The French bartender Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, well before any of the later claims, according to his granddaughter. He was working at the New York Bar in Paris at the time, which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expats. The original cocktail is said to have been created on the spur of the moment, according to the bar's own traditions, consisting only of vodka and tomato juice. This cocktail was originally referred to as a "Bucket of Blood.”
 
New York's 21 Club has two claims associated with it. One is that it was invented in the 1930s by bartender Henry Zbikiewicz, who was charged with mixing Bloody Marys. Another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club.
 
Fernand Petiot again claimed to have invented the modern Bloody Mary in 1934 as a refinement to Jessel's drink, at the King Cole Room in New York's St. Regis Hotel, according to the hotel's own history.
 
And now, here is a Sheet-Pan Garlic Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail, that was created at Perspectives Happy Hour Bar in 2021. Enjoy!
 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the roasted Bloody Mary mix
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
20 cherry tomatoes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
 
For the Bloody Mary cocktail
1-1/2 ounces vodka
2 quarters of a lime
1 celery stick
1 sprig cilantro
1 skewer with 3 roasted shrimp (from above)
 
Directions:
To make the roasted Bloody Mary mix

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F.
2. Lightly oil a sheet pan or coat with nonstick food release.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and cayenne.
4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Place shrimp and cherry tomatoes; in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Pour the oil mixture over the shrimp and tomatoes and gently toss to combine.
6. Place pan in oven and bake just until the shrimp is pink, firm and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Using a pair of tongs, remove the shrimp from the sheet pan and set aside.
8. Continue to cook the tomatoes until they are wrinkly and cooked through.
9. Let the tomato mixture cool, then add to the blender jar.
10. Add red wine, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce and process in the blender to liquify. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

To make the roasted Bloody Mary cocktail

1. In a highball glass filled with ice, add the vodka.
2. Pour the chilled Bloody Mary mix 3/4 up the side of the glass.
3. Garnish with lime, celery stick, cilantro and 1 skewer of 3 shrimp.
4. Serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  If the roasted Blood Mary mix is a little too thick, add a couple of ounces of chilled tomato or V-8 juice. Cheers and all the best!

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “You know what they say: feed a cold, starve a fever, drink a corona!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2021

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