Bloody Mary Cherry Tomatoes with Margarita Dipping Salt
If there is one thing I have an abundance of, it’s tomatoes. Cherry, mostly. Between my back yard, my sister’s front yard and the market, there are a ton lazing around my countertop, attracting fruit flies.
And so it was timely when one of you (Sarah!) emailed to say OMG I JUST HAD THE MOST AMAZING THING AT A PARTY! BLOODY MARY CHERRY TOMATOES WITH MARGARITA DIPPING SALT! And because I myself am no stranger to taking the spot right next to the most delicious thing at a party, I thought I’d give these a go. (Warning: you’ll need at least a few days to let these sit and get down with their bad boozy selves in the fridge.)
So what you do is make this divine brine by first pureeing and straining the essence of big, juicy beefsteak tomatoes. They will be painful to whiz it up, unless you really have a lot of them, but totally worth it. You mix them with vodka and tequila and onion and lemon and Worcestershire to make a bloody good Mary brine.
Then poke a bunch of cherry tomatoes all over with a bamboo skewer. Don’t worry, they won’t fall apart. Honest.
Put the tomatoes and the brine in a big jar and let them sit for at least 3 days. Then mix up some margarita dipping salt -good coarse salt and lime zest- and bring the jar to a party. You will have to demonstrate what to do – dip A into B – or as Sarah put it, “dip the little boozy bombs into this salt/lime grit mixture – like a healthy margarita!” Your friends will get the hang of it. They may also get a little tipsy.
Thanks Sarah! (Who also, by the way, said she makes apricot jam and substitutes Captain Morgan’s for the lemon juice. Sounds like another post!)
Bloody Mary Cherry Tomatoes with Margarita Dipping Salt
from O, the Oprah magazine, via Delish
4 cups cherry tomatoes
2 large regular tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, or to tasteMargarita Dipping Salt:
1/4 cup good quality flaky sea salt
zest of a lime
1/4 tsp white pepperWith a wooden or metal skewer, stab each tomato ten times; place in a glass bowl.
Puree the tomatoes, onions and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pour it into a fine sieve set over a bowl and push on the solids, getting out as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the solids (or save them for soup!). Add the zest and juice of the lemons, along with everything else (except the margarita salt) to the tomato juice. Pour the mixture over the cherry tomatoes and refrigerate for up to a week, but at least 3 days.
To serve, spear each tomato with a toothpick or wooden skewer and set in a shallow bowl with some of the liquid (spears up so they don’t get wet!). Serve with margarita salt for dipping.
October 04 2011 | appetizers | 5 Comments »
