Pickled garnishes: How to use them at your next dinner party

Pickled Everything: Shallots, Radishes, Onions, Mustard Seeds & Jalapenos – why do it?

Nowadays it seems like every cooking show and restaurant has a pickled something or other on top as part of the final presentation. The question I have is…. whether or not it’s worth the extra step. And, after trying it out on several dinner party menus over the years, my answer is, yes’. However, in the right dish. Not every dish needs it.

What is pickling? And what does it do?

Pickling is essentially taking a vegetable or herb and giving it a soak in something very acidic (vinegar or lemon juice) and then blending with a little bit of sweet (sugar or honey) and salt. Sometimes you add a few spices like bay leaves, peppercorns or juniper berries for added flavor.

The overall effect is twofold. One, you have a more briny or pickled flavor to the vegetable you started with and secondly it softens the flavor of the original ingredient. For example, a pickled red onion will taste more vinegary and less pungent which is great for those who find red onions overpowering. Or take a jalapeno as another example. It lessens the heat level on them, but you still get some heat and that crunch.

So, you get some of that the flavor/color of whatever vegetable you are using but with a lower pH to it. This method helps bring a really heavy or rich dish (think beef stew in hearty sauce) to the next level with a pop of acidity on the palate that cuts through all that richness and brings out more of the nuanced flavors.

What does it do on the palate?

In short, it helps you taste more of the good things going on in the dish without taking away from the main ingredients. When a pickled ingredient (vinegar or lemon juice) hits your tongue it ‘awakens’ the palate and gets your salivary glands going. and gives each bite a bright note.

And as an added bonus it’ll make you look like the next Top Chef. And it’s easy to do at home! No special equipment needed and can be done ahead of time.

What to use them on?

Below are a few ideas of how to incorporate pickled items into your next dinner party. I’m confident you can come up with many more. Send me and email and let me know how you incorporate it into your dishes.

If this is your first-time trying pickling pick an ingredient you enjoy in its raw state. Here’s a few suggestions: Carrots, cucumbers, radishes, jalapenos, onions, or beets. One that I hadn’t tried before but wanted to see how it tastes was mustard seeds. And I have to say I really liked it but not on its own. It was a very nice compliment to a rich, meaty Veal Shank dish over polenta (see below).

If you are vegetarian, there’s still plenty of places where pickled vegetables make sense on your menu. Like this Sticky Ginger Rice Bowl with Pickled Veg and Mango from Pinch of Yum. Or this Creamy Mushroom Polenta with Pickled Peppers recipe from the Purple Carrot.