Pickle & Preserve
Classic Cabbage Kimchi
I love kimchi. To me, the world is a better place when we all enjoy kimchi. Fiery and fun, it gives a kick to all food.
By Hugh Acheson
Sea Bass and Tomato Ceviche
Choose the best-quality fish for this simple ceviche.
By Virgilio Martinez
Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Cream
Instructor's advice: Start with very cold cream, and keep it chilled between whipping and serving.
Red Salad with Pickled Beet Vinaigrette
The colorcoded salad is one of Babylonstoren's signature dishes and always features a mix of fruits and vegetables on the same plate. Engelbrecht says produce that looks good together tastes great together, too, and she's developed specific vinaigrettes to complement the red, yellow, and green options.
By Maranda Engelbrecht
Quick-Pickled Carrots
If you cut your carrots thin enough, you don't have to cook them to make great quick pickles; just pour hot pickling liquid directly over the carrots and let sit. For more visual punch, use multi-colored carrots.
By Anna Stockwell
Preserved Lemons
(Djej Emshmel)
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetable tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives , and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California.
Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste.
The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have half a lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed.
Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.
By Paula Wolfert
Pickled Egg Salad Crostini with Serrano Ham
The pickled hard-boiled eggs are a great snack on their own—they're sold individually at Shed.
By Miles Thompson
Beet-Pickled Deviled Eggs
These vibrant, savory, and slightly spicy deviled eggs are perfect for parties, but easy enough to make as a snack, too.
By Ian Knauer
Mackerel Escabeche, Sliced Sweet Capicola, Buttered Rye Crackers, and Celery Leaves
By Gabrielle Hamilton
Citrus-Peel Powder
Add this to baked goods like biscuits or use it to rim a cocktail glass.
By Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns
Ricotta Cheese
I make a ricotta that is blissfully dry, which works well in my recipes for ravioli, lasagna, and as a garnish on salads and pasta dishes. If you want a creamy ricotta, to serve dressed with a fruit syrup or to spread on crostini or to make cannoli cream, then you need to add some cream to the recipe: Replace 1 cup of the whole milk with heavy cream. Goat milk makes a creamier ricotta as well.
By Eugenia Bone
Marinated Baby Artichokes with Hot Pepper
There is no USDA data for water bath canning artichokes. I developed this recipe, which has a pH of 3.5, well within the safety limits for water bath canning. The processing time is based on the recommended time for marinated peppers, which contain similar quantities of olive oil—an important consideration when water bath processing foods.
Rather than discard the outer leaves, boil them for about 10 minutes. Chill and serve with mayonnaise; or serve hot, with melted butter for dipping. The marinade left over after you've finished the jar of artichokes is delicious and can be used to flavor other dishes.
By Eugenia Bone
Arugula Salad With Pickled Beets and Preserved-Lemon Viniagrette
If you can't find both red and yellow beets, just use all of one or the other, and pickle everything in one bowl. The pickles keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks, making them perfect for snacking with holiday leftovers.
By Alon Shaya
Pickled Shrimp
A mixture of white wine and white wine vinegar, plus a host of spices and vegetables, infuse these shrimp with tangy, fragrant flavor. Serve them as a cocktail party hors d'oeuvre or toss them into a salad.
By Mike Lata
Pickled Watermelon Rind
By Susan Spungen
Pickled Carrots with Tarragon
Mild rice vinegar and a fair amount of sugar yield a less acidic brine and a bright-tasting pickle.
Pink Pickled Turnips
The turnips will taste great after just one week in the pickling liquid, but for that full-on saturated pink hue, let them sit for two full weeks.
By Anissa Helou
Cured Salmon with Fennel and Carrot Salad
Weighing down the salmon fillet with heavy cans as it cures will press excess liquid out of the flesh to ensure a firm texture.
By Renee Erickson
Spicy Pickled Shallots
"You always want to give the option of adding heat at the table," says Tanis. These shallots deliver acidity and fire in one shot.
Pickled Vegetable Salad with Nori Vinaigrette
It might seem fussy to separate the vegetables when pickling, but if they're combined, the colors will bleed and they won't be as vibrant.
By Andrew Taylor and Micheal Wiley