One of my favorite tiny tasks in the kitchen is to quick pickle some onion or a few shallots. I can scatter it on dishes for days, adding brightness and crunch, and a few drops of the sweet and sour pickling liquid can double as a finish at the table, like a pinch of flaky salt.
If you need a reason to make your own pickle today, I’d like to present Jocelyn Ramirez’s delicious enfrijoladas . Purée pinto beans with a chipotle to start the creamy, smoky sauce, them simmer it down, dipping in some lightly pan-fried tortillas. A plate of those enfrijoladas, covered in avocado, sour cream and onion soaked in citrus juice with oregano, is so comforting.
Always pickle a bit more onion than you need (one big onion will go a long way!), because there are so many more possibilities for the leftovers.
For example:
Sautéed mushrooms deglazed with a splash of wine and simmered with a spoon of crème fraîche + garlic-rubbed toast + pickled onions + lots of parsley and capers
Grain salad, hard-boiled eggs or simply roasted vegetables + dressing of pickled onions + pickling liquid + olive oil + salt and pepper
Crispy fried egg + hot rice + pickled onion + sliced chile soaked in the same pickling liquid for breakfast or dinner
I think of pickled onion as a bonus most of the time, but it’s not just an optional garnish . It can be essential, like in rajma and rice , the kidney beans simmered in a tomato-y sauce with garlic, ginger and green chiles.
I make all kinds of alternative versions of the dish, and each one is just as cozy as the next. I swap in string cheese or yogurt on top, reach for fresh tomatoes or canned. I’ve used Thai chilies, serranos and jalapeños. I’ve left out the garlic. But I would never, ever skip the pickled onion!
They’re just as crucial in Nik Sharma’s beautiful roasted brussels sprouts on labneh . Nik uses shallots, but if you have some pickled onion ready to go, it would work beautifully. And I bet it would be so good with some hot msemen , the flaky Moroccan bread, on the side. Follow Nargisse Benkabbou’s new recipe, and use the flatbread to scoop a little bit of everything to make the perfect bite — creamy labneh, deeply browned brussels sprouts and, of course, some slightly crunchy, super juicy pickled onion.
Baked Rajma
One More Thing!
Here’s a basic pickle recipe that makes enough for all three dishes. It involves blanching the onion very briefly to soften its raw flavor.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Pour ¼ cup of that hot water into a heatproof bowl, and add 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt . To the pot, add 1 large halved and finely sliced red onion, and let it simmer for about 30 seconds. Drain the onion well and add it to the bowl of seasoned water. Add ½ cup rice wine vinegar , stir to mix and store, covered, in the fridge for up to a week.
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Source : food
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