This fermented Bloody Mary mix is both effervescent and light while simultaneously contributing a full-bodied tomato flavor. Try incorporating this probiotic-rich tomato mixture into cocktails, gazpachos, shakshuka or tomato sauces for an added tang and complexity to elevate your dish or beverage.
Pack quartered plum tomatoes in a jar with a powerhouse of flavor that stems from including garlic cloves, thyme, white peppercorns, paprika, dried oregano, cayenne, black peppercorns, salt, sugar and red wine vinegar. One week later, you will have a Bloody Mary mix that makes a great hostess gift or addition to an upcoming weekend brunch.
Enjoying oysters as a shooter with this Bloody Mary ferment is a more nuanced way to add an acidic flavor to the beloved brined shellfish starter than just squeezing lemon juice or a dab of hot sauce onto the half shell. Making your own Bloody Mary mix can not only be more economical but will surely contain less preservatives than buying a ready, ultra-processed drink mix in a bottle.
What’s Good to Know with Chef Olivia:
- Straining your ferment through a wide strainer (sometimes called a ‘china cap’ in professional kitchens) gets rid of all the peels but preserves all the texture and flavor.
- Use firm or slightly underripe plum tomatoes for more chances of a successful ferment and the best flavor results.
- It is best to remove the hard core of your tomatoes before placing the quartered produce in a sterilized jar. The core is where the tomato botanically attaches to the plant.
- Add extra cayenne when fermenting for an extra kick.
- Make a portion of your Bloody Mary mix into ice cubes as to not dilute the flavor when serving your mixture chilled.
Ingredients
For the Fermented Bloody Mary Mix:
Yield: 1/2 gallon-sized jar
- 12 plum tomatoes, cored & quartered lengthwise
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- water, to cover
For the Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters & Assembly:
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 dozen East Coast oysters
- 2 cups fermented Bloody Mary mix
- 6 ounces vodka, or to taste (optional)
- 4 scallions, minced
Directions
For the Fermented Bloody Mary Mix:
- Add cut tomatoes, garlic, thyme sprigs, white peppercorns, paprika, dried oregano, cayenne, black peppercorns, sea salt and sugar to a large bowl.
- Massage gently for a few minutes. Fold in red wine vinegar and allow mixture to rest for a few minutes.
- Pack bowl contents into a sterilized, half-gallon-sized glass jar along with any residual liquid. Add in fermentation weight.
- Cover with water until level reaches 1 inch below the lower glass rim.
- Attach airlock lid and ferment at room temperature for 5 to 7 days.
- Refrigerate for extended storage. Strain mixture through a mesh strainer before using.
For the Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters & Assembly:
- Mix together cayenne pepper, sugar and salt on a shallow plate.
- Shuck oysters and place over ice.
- Lightly wet shooter glass rim and dip in spiced salt mixture.
- Pour fermented Bloody Mary mix and vodka, if using, into small shooter glasses and top each with minced scallions and shucked oyster.
More fermented recipes from Chef Olivia:
