Thursday, July 14, 2011

A pickled garnish

Picking up my Diana Kennedy I came across such a simple recipe.

Finely slice one pound of red onions.
Place them in a mixing bowl.
Add one half cup fresh lime juice,
one and a half teaspoons sea salt.

Macerate for two hours before sprinkling on grilled fish or meat everywhere.
Or add to your media noches.  Or pulled pork sandwiches.
It's crisp, tangy, and not at all as oniony strong as you might expect.

Keeps in a sealed container for at least a week, and I find the bright pink hue particularly beguiling.
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11 comments:

  1. Cafe PasadenaJuly 14, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    You are one of my favorite food writers. When's your next recipe book coming out?

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  2. DesireeJuly 16, 2011 at 1:38 PM

    Yah! Once I get the rights to everyone's recipes---

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  3. Petrea BurchardJuly 16, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    Doesn't "macerate" mean "chew"?

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  4. Petrea BurchardJuly 16, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    I'll have you know yours is the only food blog where I feel safe enough to ask my stupid questions.

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  5. DesireeJuly 17, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    P: Macerate/masticate--I feel your confusion-
    :)

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  6. Petrea BurchardJuly 17, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Oh duh!

    Does it matter what or how much you soak it in? Oil? Water? Or does "macerate" mean "let it sit in the lime juice"?

    I need something like "Recipes for Dummies.

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  7. DesireeJuly 17, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    I think macerate is when you add something, say, salt for peeled broccoli stems (25 minutes, delish, rinsed then drizzled with a little sesame seed oil) or sugar for strawberries, or lime juice for fish and red onions, that helps intensify the flavor.

    Water or oil will not do that; hmm, sounds like a possible blog on cooking chemistry-- I will need to outsource that!

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  8. Petrea BurchardJuly 17, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    I found it on Wikipedia. "soak in liquid," basically.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maceration_%28food%29

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  9. BecJuly 17, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    I'm making bbq beef sandwiches and I wish I had started this recipe a week ago :) Sounds great

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  10. Pasadena AdjacentJuly 20, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    My vegetarian status does not come without great sacrifice. I think I passed on your pulled pork. Insert quiet sobs here. On a high note, my friend Cam Slocum "the Tomato King" got "Cam's So. Cal Pickles" approved for sale at Whole Foods. Hope this pulls his urban farm out of the hands of foreclosure.

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  11. DesireeJuly 26, 2011 at 2:44 PM

    PA--I look forward to picking some up! Re--sacrifice--I hate it! Instead of giving something up, I try to convince myself I am working TOWARDS something--(health? Smug superiority?) Sometimes that mind game does the trick. Some times it doesn't. I shall join you with the sobs.

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