September 5, 2010

Ultimate pickles

The farmers’ markets are at their glorious peak, lush and overflowing with gorgeous, vibrant produce — tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, corn, leafy greens, stone fruits, melons, berries. But I’m here to talk about onions. Yes, onions. Pickled red onions, to be precise. Hear me out.

I’ve talked pickles before, but these are the ne plus ultra of pickles. No surprise, then, that once again the recipe comes from Judy Rogers and her Zuni Cafe, a hometown institution. Crisp, juicy, sweet, and tangy, they’re the perfect summer accompaniment to any sandwich or salad — or, if you’re me, eaten by the forkful out of the jar. As a bonus, they’re a fun shade of hot pink. But don’t let they’re Barbie-like appearance fool you. I hear these are great on a fat, juicy burger, as they’re served at Zuni. As a longtime vegetarian, I can’t attest to that, but I have seen a bunch of boys scarf them down with burgers and sausages at a beach-side grill out.

I won’t deny, the recipe can be a bit intimidating, with a lot of steps and seemingly time consuming. However, each step is quite simple, and I guarantee the result is worth not only your time, but also the vinegary scent that will linger in your home for a couple of days. After making these, you’ll never think of pickles the same again.

Zuni red onion pickles
Adapted from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook.

  • 2 lbs. red onions, parchment-like outer rings discarded, and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
  • 1 quart (4 cups) distilled white vinegar
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken into a few pieces
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 pinches ground allspice
  • 1 heaping teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • About 20 black peppercorns

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine vinegar, sugar, and spices, and bring to a boil. When boiling, add 1/3 of the onions and stir them under. As soon as the brine begins to simmer around the edges, stir onions under again, and remove pot from heat. Using a slotted spoon, drain and remove onions, transferring to a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Onions will still be somewhat firm, but it’s at this point that they should have turned a bright shade of fuschia or magenta. Repeat with remaining onions in two batches.

Once onions have cooled (I throw them in the fridge or freezer because I’m impatient), repeat the process, again in three batches, two more times. (Yes, TWO.) After the third round of blanching, cool onions on baking sheet as before, and also chill brine thoroughly. Transfer cooled onions into canning jars and pour over chilled brine. (I used French hermetic terrines, but any glass canning jar will do.) Onions will float somewhat, but ensure that they are submerged in the brine. Store in refrigerator.

Age pickles at least one day before serving.