Bloody Marys & Bacon at Little River Inn
If you are looking for something different, fresh, and fun to do for your next visit to the Mendocino Coast, consider the Bloody Mary and Bacon Contest at Little River Inn. A new addition to the Little River Whale Festival activities, this event is sure to warm your bones with new and creative Bloody Mary recipes. And what goes better with a Bloody Mary than bacon? Last year’s winner, “Millionaire’s Bacon,” was cooked up by Jo Bradley, former owner of Dennen’s Victorian Farmhouse, who guards her recipe fiercely. You won’t mind though, when you get a taste of her salty, sweet, smoky bacon perfection.
Proceeds of this popular contest go to support Mendo Parks (mendoparks.org), which helps keep our local state parks awesome with interpretive walks, educational tours, and preservation efforts. So go ahead and grab a drink for a good cause. Little River Inn has provided the recipe below to tide you over until then.
Little River Inn Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary Mix:
2oz Deep Eddy Vodka
½ inch fresh ginger, grated
½ oz fresh lemon juice
2-½ oz tomato juice
1 T wasabi powder
¼ oz Ponzu sauce
¼ oz Worcestershire sauce
For the Rim:
½ T finely chopped Nori
½ T Togarashi Spice
For the Garnish:
Jicama + Hawaiian Teriyaki Bacon Wonton (wonton wrap, fresh sliced jicama wedge, and bacon marinated in brown sugar, soy sauce, and fresh ginger), a lemon wedge, jalapeño-pickled carrot, and Daikon Radish.
Preparation:
Combine the chopped Nori with the Togarashi spice. Wet the entire rim of a 16 oz glass with a lemon wedge and dip the rim into the Nori/Togarashi spice blend. Set aside.
Combine ginger, lemon juice, Ponzu, and Worcestershire sauce with tomato juice in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, add drops of water to your wasabi powder and stir until it becomes a thick paste. Add the wasabi paste to the tomato mixture and blend ingredients well.
Add vodka to rimmed glass along with tomato mixture, and fill with ice. Stir. Garnish with a freshly deep fried Jicama & Hawaiian Teriyaki Bacon Wonton, lemon wedge, jalapeño-pickled carrot, and Daikon Radish.
Recipe courtesy of Melissa Shaw and Kaitlin Burkey, with help from Corey Paiva. Photos by Brendan McGuigan.
