Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (13 page)

These many sound a little odd, but they are delicious. Try them on their own as an appetizer or sliced on top of crackers or bread. Pickled eggs were once a popular bar snack, so crack a beer while you’re at it
.

YIELDS 6 EGGS

 

 6 eggs

 1 tablespoon pickling or canning salt

 2 fresh green serrano peppers, sliced

 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

 1
¹
⁄
₂
cups apple cider vinegar

 
¹
⁄
₂
cup water

 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

 2 whole cloves

 
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon allspice

1. Hard boil the eggs by placing them in a single layer at the bottom of a pot and covering with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately remove pot from heat and cover with lid. Let sit 12 minutes, then drain and rinse with cool water.
   
2. When eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them. Using a fork, gently pierce each egg through to the yolk 4 times. Place the eggs in a large, clean glass preserving jar or two smaller ones.
   
3. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
   
4. Carefully pour warm mixture over the eggs.
   
5. Screw the lids onto jars and refrigerate for 1 week before using. Pickled eggs will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
   

Try these on top of fish for a little spicy, Caribbean flair. Be sure to use gloves when handling the extremely spicy Scotch Bonnet chilies
.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 2 CUPS

 

 1 tablespoon sugar

 1 cup apple cider vinegar

 2 bay leaves

 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

 1 red onion, thinly sliced

 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

 4 Scotch Bonnet chilies, stem, seeds, and ribs removed, horizontally and thinly sliced (use habaneros if you can’t find Scotch Bonnets)

 4 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced

 2 small carrots (or 1 large), thinly sliced

 2 cups rum (preferably dark rum)

1. In a nonreactive saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
   
2. Place onion slices, garlic, chilies, and carrots in a large, clean glass preserving jar or several smaller ones.
   
3. When the vinegar mixture has cooled, but is still warm, add the rum. Stir to combine, then pour mixture over chilies.
   
4. Screw lids on jars and store in the refrigerator for a few days before using. This spicy recipe will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
   

Besides salt and vinegar, you can also preserve chilies in alcohol. Using alcohol is one of the simplest methods of preserving because it kills bacteria. Alcohols like rum have a high sugar content so they will give the chili peppers sweetness. Try adding a dash of vodka, gin, tequila, or whiskey to a spicy pickle recipe for a more complex taste.

 

These tangy, spicy pickles are traditionally served alongside most Indian meals. Try them on their own or with flatbread
.

YIELDS ABOUT 2 CUPS OF PICKLES

 

 1 cup cauliflower, cut into small florets

 2 shallots, cut horizontally into thin slices

 1 large carrot, cut into thin strips

 4 green jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, sliced lengthwise

 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks

 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt

 
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper

 
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground turmeric

 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice

 2 teaspoons mustard seeds

 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

 
¹
⁄
₄
cup vegetable oil

1. Mix all the vegetables together in a large, nonreactive bowl with ginger, salt, cayenne, turmeric, and lime juice. Set aside.
   
2. In a spice grinder, a coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle, blend mustard and fenugreek seeds into a fine powder. Add to vegetables and stir to combine.
   
3. Pack vegetables into a clean glass preserving jar. Add oil.
   
4. Screw lid on jar and place in the refrigerator. Let sit for 2–3 days before using. The mixed pickles will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator.
   

Fenugreek is a plant that can be used both as a spice (the seed) and an herb (the leaves). Fenugreek is used throughout Indian and South Asian cuisine, as well as in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. It adds an earthy flavor to curries and sauces and can be found in most Indian and Middle Eastern markets.

 

Ginger is a wonderful root often used medicinally for digestive issues, nausea, and seasickness. The Japanese serve pickled ginger alongside raw sushi to aid in digestion. Try including a few pieces with your meals for best effect
.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 3 CUPS

 

 4 pounds ginger

 1 tablespoon pickling or canning salt

 1 cup distilled water

 
¹
⁄
₂
5-gram package yogurt starter

1. Peel and cut ginger into very thin slices.
   
2. In a deep bowl, use a wooden mallet or the flat side of a large knife to pound ginger slices and expel juices for the brine.
   
3. Place juices and pounded ginger into a glass jar; mix with salt and water.
   
4. Add yogurt starter; seal jar.
   
5. Let it sit at room temperature 3–5 days, then store in refrigerator. The ginger should keep for at least a few weeks, and possibly longer.
   

When fermenting foods, avoid using a plastic or an aluminum crock. This goes for your utensils as well. This goes back to the issue of reactivity that was discussed in
Part I
. Instead, be sure to use glass or enamel pottery specifically meant for making sauerkraut and pickles.

 

These pickled vegetables are great as a side dish, a snack, or on top of a bed of greens. The longer they sit in the marinade, the spicier and more vinegary they will get
.

YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 6 CUPS

 

 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

 6 dried red chilies, seeded and crumbled

 3 tablespoons chopped green onion

 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 3
¹
⁄
₂
cups rice wine vinegar

 1 tablespoon sugar

 
¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped lemongrass

 4 cups water

 1 cup baby corn

 1 cup sliced carrots

 1 cup broccoli florets

 
¹
⁄
₂
cup bok choy

 1 large cucumber, seeded and cut into 3-inch-long,
¹
⁄
₂
-inch wide strips

 
¹
⁄
₂
cup cilantro leaves

 2–3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Place the garlic, chilies, green onions, and ginger in a food processor or blender and process to form a paste. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the paste, and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
   
2. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil. Add the sugar and the lemongrass; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the reserved paste, set aside. This will serve as the marinade.
   
3. Bring the water to a boil in a large pan. Add the corn, carrots, broccoli, and bok choy and blanch for 2–3 minutes. Strain the vegetables and shock with cool water to stop the cooking process.
   
4. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.
   
5. Stir in the cilantro and sesame seeds just before serving.
   

This recipe uses upscale broccolini as the base for a quick pickled snack that’s perfect for parties
.