Pickled: From Curing Lemons to Fermenting Cabbage, the Gourmand's Ultimate Guide to the World of Pickling (22 page)
Authors: Kelly Carrolata
- Cut the pork into cubes and place into a large bowl. Add the soy sauce, cornstarch, and baking soda. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the pork. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is hot, add the ginger slices and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
- Combine the Quick-Pickled Plums and the water to thin out their consistency. Add to the stir-fry.
- Add the cooked pork. Stir in the green onions. Mix everything through, top the dish with parsley leaves, and serve hot.
DRINKS
WITH
PICKLES
B
y now, you know how to incorporate your pickles into delicious condiments, starters, and even full entrees, but the true connoisseur can go even further! Any modern bar worth it’s salt now has pickle-based cocktails on the menu, and with good reason—the intense flavor of preserved produce is one of the few things that can stand up to and fully complement alcohol. Whether the drinks are sweet, like Mango Chutney Margaritas, or intensely hot like the Prairie Fire Shooter, you’ll find that pickles perk up run-of-the-mill drinks and add a unique air of modern class. Improvisation is key, so don’t be afraid to go out of the box—you might just find that these are some of the best cocktails you’ll ever try!
Caipiroska
,
see
Part IV
Pungent pickled peppers are a natural fit in this classic savory drink recipe
.
YIELDS 1 SERVING1
1
⁄
2
ounces vodka
1
⁄
2
cup tomato juice2 teaspoons lemon juice
Dash Tabasco sauce
1 ounce Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup ice
1
⁄
2
ounce pickle brine from Vinegar-Packed Peppers (see
Part II
)
Celery stick, lemon wedge, and Vinegar-Packed Pepper for garnish
Combine first seven ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish and serve.
The classic Gibson is defined by its iconic cocktail onion, but this daring derivative changes out the onion for a pickled garlic clove, for a novel twist on an old-fashioned favorite
.
YIELDS 1 SERVING1
1
⁄
2
ounces dry gin
1
⁄
2
ounce French vermouth3 cloves garlic from Pungent Pickled Garlic (see
Part II
)1 lemon twist
Shake gin and vermouth in a shaker tin of ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with Pungent Pickled Garlic and a lemon twist.
This hearty cocktail uses beef bouillon to achieve a body that you’re not likely to find in any other drink
.
YIELDS 1 SERVING1
1
⁄
2
ounces vodka4 ounces chilled beef bouillon
Dash Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper
Rum Chilies (see
Part II
), for garnish
Combine ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass over ice. Garnish with Rum Chilies.
This relative of the famous Bloody Mary is blasted past traditional with the addition of Clamato and pickled capers. Don’t serve it to an unsuspecting friend!
YIELDS 1 SERVING1
1
⁄
2
ounes vodka
1
⁄
4
ounce fresh lime juiceClamato juice to fill
Celery salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce to taste
4–5 Brined Capers (see
Part II
)
Combine all liquid ingredients and spices with ice and stir. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with Brined Capers.
Clamato is indeed a mixture made from clam and tomato juice! It’s got a unique flavor that pairs exceptionally well with drinks like the Bloody Caesar and Bloody Mary, but it’s not for the uninitiated.
Caipiroska is a popular lime and vodka drink that is especially prevalent in South America. One taste of this, and you’re in the tropics!
YIELDS 1 SERVING
1
⁄
4
lime1 Pickled Lime quarter (see
Part II
)2 teaspoons sugar
2 ounces vodka
1 cup ice
Muddle the limes and sugar in a mixing glass. Add the vodka and ice. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass of cracked ice.
To make this drink most reminiscent of its birthplace, use raw or turbinado sugar as the sweetener here instead of processed white sugar.
This peach-based cocktail is complemented well by a pickled peach garnish. The sweetness of the orange juice in the drink is offset by the pungent and nuanced taste of the peach
.
YIELDS 1 SERVING1 ounce vodka
1 ounce peach schnapps
Fresh orange juice to fill
1 slice Pickled Peaches (see
Part II
)
Pour the vodka and peach schnapps into a highball glass of ice. Fill with orange juice. Garnish with the Pickled Peach slice.
This is a serious connoisseur’s drink featuring Scotch, vermouth, absinthe, and hints of orange
.
YIELDS 1 SERVING2 ounces Scotch
1
⁄
2
ounce dry vermouth
1
⁄
4
ounce absinthe2 dashes orange bitters
Spiced Orange Rings (see
Part II
), for garnish