Pickled Onions
Y’all, I don’t pickle, can or preserve much of anything. In fact, I can verify that this is my first, and I think it probably goes back to my lack of patience (the same reason I don’t love or really excel at yeast breads and delicate baked goods). I prefer constant motion – chop, sauté, puree, roast - and then, voila!, instant gratification because the dish is ready. At least I recognize my weaknesses, right?!?
So how did I end up becoming literally obsessed with these pickled red onions?
I had the opportunity to spend a few days at Tulane’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine back in March to learn about cooking lamb and how it’s a great protein to incorporate into a healthy diet. While creating a recipe for lamb tacos in their test kitchen, Head Chef Leah Sarris showed us this quick pickled onion trick where you bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil, and then soak fresh onion slices for 30 minutes before draining.
Even when I learned this quick 30-minute pickling trick (that shaves days off traditional pickling), I still wasn’t sure I would still make them…UNTIL I added them to those lamb tacos with a sprinkle of queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Y'all. It made those tacos so much better! I just had to spread the word!
Sorry if I over-shared my “cooking issues” but I just wanted to illustrate that if I am pickling a vegetable, then you know it’s got to be super easy and delicious!
Hello, World!
Pickled Onions
These picked onions are a perfect addition to tacos or salad greens!
INGREDIENTS
1 large red onion, halved or quartered, then sliced into thin strips
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
METHOD
Bring water and vinegar to a boil. Add sugar and salt, stirring over heat until dissolved. Pour over onions and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain or refrigerate in liquid, draining before serving. NOTE: This method also works well with radishes and beets.
