The Crabby Mary

A fancy appetizer for your next dinner party that's a cross between shrimp cocktail and a Bloody Mary.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegetable or tomato juice
• 3/4 cup vodka
• 2 tsp. prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh lump crabmeat
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced sweet pepper
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Fresh chives (optional)

Directions:

Simmer vegetable juice in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 2 1/4 cups. Set aside to cool. When cool, stir in vodka, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Combine crabmeat, onion, sweet pepper, celery, and garlic; spoon into 6 cocktail glasses. Divide vodka mixture among each cocktail glass. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. Before serving, let stand until room temperature. If desired, garnish each cocktail glass with chives.

Number of Servings: 6