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Nick’s Cove is an institution in Marshall, California. Set on the edge of Tomales Bay, it’s the perfect escape from San Francisco. You’ll find oysters, salt air, and seafood galore. Now you can make their delicious recipes at home with their new cookbook. Nick’s Cove Bloody Mary is the perfect way to start your weekend.
Photo by Frankie Frankeny. Words by Dena Grunt.
Our Bloody Mary is the stuff of legend. Tangy and a tad spicy, our homemade pickles make them extra special. We pickle whatever looks great in our garden Croft depending on the season. Here, we’ve stuck to cucumbers and radishes but use this pickling liquid for whatever veggies you have on hand, from green beans to cauliflower. Start the pickles the day before you plan to enjoy your cocktail so they have time to soak up all that good flavor.
Table with a View: The History and Recipes of Nick’s Cove by Dena Grunt is out now.
Nick’s Bloody Mary
Ingredients
For the pickles:
- 2 cups Champagne vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 assorted radishes, trimmed of greens and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
- 1 Kirby cucumber sliced lengthwise into 12 spears
For the Bloody Mary mix:
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 46-oz can tomato juice
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 2 bay leaves
- kosher salt
For assembling the cocktails:
- 12 oz vodka, such as Hangar 1 Vodka
- Ice cubes
- vinegar-based hot sauce
- 6 pimento-stuffed green olives
- 6 cocktail onions
- 6 lemon wedges
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the pickles:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, 1 ½ cups water, the sugar, salt, jalapeno, and pepper flakes over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the salt and sugar have dissolved and the mixture is fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely, then transfer to a large airtight container. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- Add the cucumber and radishes to the cold pickling liquid, making sure they are fully immersed, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 1 month before serving.
To make the bloody Mary mix:
- In a spice grinder, combine the pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, celery seeds, and peppercorns and process to a fine powder. Pour the tomato juice into a large glass pitcher, add the spice mix, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and horseradish, and stir to mix well. Add the bay leaves, then season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 5 days in advance.
To assemble the cocktails:
- Have ready six pint-size glasses. add 2 oz vodka to each glass, then fill the glasses with ice cubes. Pour Bloody Mary mix to nearly fill each glass (about 5 oz or 2/3 cup), then add a dash or two of hot sauce to each glass. For each cocktail, spear an olive, 2 slices pickled radish, and an onion with a bamboo spear, then add to the glass. Grind some black pepper over the top and serve.