Give a nod to human ingenuity for pickles, those little sides that add a big burst of brightness to rich dishes that dominate the plate.
"Every culture has got pickles, without exception," says chef Don Maruyama, an instructor at Leeward Community College’s culinary program, where he teaches garde manger, the preparation of cold dishes used most often as appetizers, such as pates, terrines and canapes as well as pickles, salsas, relishes and chutneys.
"In general, pickling came about as a method of preserving food. You can pickle almost anything. When I went away to school in the Midwest, I saw all kinds of pickled food. There was pickled eggs and meats, like pickled pigs feet and pickled herring."
Maruyama says pickling can be as simple as soaking a food in brine — water and salt — but usually involves an acid such as vinegar.
"When pairing pickles with food, they often serve as contrast. In a dish with fatty content, the sourness or tartness of the pickles cuts through the fat. When serving charcuterie, a classic pairing is pickles and mustard," Maruyama says. "But some pickles complement, like in spicy Korean food. Kim chee is also spicy, so there are various strong flavors."
Americans, meanwhile, seem to like some sweetness to their pickles.
Those are the kind that Joseph Gedan makes in his home kitchen.
"I like pickled stuff, so I started with pickled garlic," says the retired U.S. magistrate judge, whose love of cucumber kim chee inspired him to learn how to make his own pickles. He went online for ideas. "Garlic is supposed to be healthy, but it’s hard to consume as is. Pickling makes it palatable; it’s a favorite among my friends."
A surplus of papaya from his yard led to green papaya salad. In formulating his recipe, Gedan says he referred to Filipino and Thai versions of the dish and then tinkered. Gedan uses pineapple juice, which lends added sweetness to the dish.
His trick for tackling the labor-intensive task of grating the papaya is a julienne peeler, which he says produces ideal strips that are finer than spaghetti noodles.
But for the local palate, perhaps most interesting is Gedan’s pickled watermelon rind, recommended by a friend from the South where it is a favorite. Gedan’s recipe is sweet for sure, but a robust combination of vinegar and lemons creates a flavor reminiscent of crack seed and is deliciously addictive.
"The problem with watermelon rind is that folks usually eat watermelon over a three- or four-day period, and after they eat a slice, you’re supposed to save the rind by soaking it in water. But the consistency deteriorates," he says. "The best way is to slice up the fruit and use the rind immediately. Fresher rind has a better consistency."
Gedan uses a basic brine of water, vinegar and sugar with specific spices for each pickle. He says the garlic makes a good appetizer or condiment "for any meal," while the green papaya salad is best as just that.
"The watermelon rind is a treat you can eat just by itself. I just reach into the refrigerator and snack on it."
Pickles can be sweet, salty, sour, spicy or a combination, depending on the flavor profile of the cuisine from which it originates.
"The pickles echo the cuisine," says Maruyama. "Ingredients used are what’s available, but most pickles use some kind of salt and vinegar."
Japanese pickling can also include shiso, miso, soy and sake. The pickled daikon and carrot strips from Vietnamese cuisine (the condiment included in Vietnamese sandwiches) is made with rice vinegar, sugar and the salty shrimp sauce prevalent in Vietnamese cooking.
Mexican chilies are seasoned with commonly used spices such as cumin, oregano and garlic, and served with soups and sandwiches.
Likewise, Indian curries are presented with chutneys and pickles featuring ginger, chilies, mustard seed, tumeric and fenugreek, mainstays in Indian cuisine.
Cuban sandwiches, known for including an array of meats such as ham and braised pork, and cheese, aren’t complete without mustard and pickles, which "cut right through the richness," says Maruyama.
No matter the specifics of seasonings or how they’re incorporated into a dish, pickles are universally used as an accompaniment.
"Most pickles are an inexpensive way to heighten flavors and complexity to a dish," says Maruyama.
PICKLED GREEN PAPAYA
Courtesy Joe Gedan
4 to 5 cups julienned green papaya, about 3 medium-size fruit (remove skin)
1 carrot, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 mild green chili peppers, sliced in rings
1 3/4-inch piece ginger, diced
1 or 2 garlic cloves, diced (optional)
2 tablespoons raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
2 cups vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Place papaya in bowl and cover with salt and water (about 4-to-1 ratio of water to salt) and soak for about 1 hour. Drain through cheesecloth, pressing out all the water. Rinse through cheesecloths and press out water again. In bowl, combine all vegetables. The papaya should be 3/4 of the mix.
In pot, combine vinegar, water and sugar. Place ginger and cloves in spice bag and add to pot. Simmer until sugar dissolves and bring to boil. Add pineapple juice and salt.
Fill glass containers with vegetable mixture and cover with brine. Wait a day before serving.
If keeping papaya for later use, use sterilized canning jars for storage. Makes about 4 to 5 pints of pickled papaya.
Approximate nutritional information, per 1 ounce serving: 25 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, no protein
PICKLED GRAPES
Adapted from "The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen. Garde Manger. 3rd Edition" by the Culinary Institute of America (John Wiley and Sons, Inc.)
3-1/2 cups sugar
22 ounces white wine vinegar
1-1/2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 pounds seedless grapes (depending on presentation, leave in bunches or remove from stem)
In sauce pot, combine sugar, vinegar, cinnamon stick and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour mixture over grapes, allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate.
Serve when cold or refrigerate overnight. Makes 4 cups of pickles.
Approximate nutritional information, per 1 ounce serving: 90 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 23 g sugar, no protein
PICKLED WATERMELON RIND
Courtesy Joe Gedan
Peel off green skin of watermelon from rind.
Rind of 1 medium watermelon (10 inches around), cut into 3/4-inch squares
3/4 cup salt
3-1/2 cups vinegar
3 quarts water
4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
3 lemons, thinly sliced and seeds removed
10 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
Soak rind overnight in enough water to cover and the 3/4 cup salt. Drain, cover with fresh water and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. (Do not overcook as rind will be cooked again in brine.) Drain.
In large pot, mix vinegar, water and sugar. Combine spices in a sealed cheesecloth sack and add to pot. Bring to boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add rind and lemons, then cook until rind is translucent and liquid is syrupy. Rind should have a little crunch.
Place rind in prepared canning jars with syrup completely covering fruit. Makes about 6 16-ounce Mason jars of pickles.
Nutritional information unavailable.
PICKLED GARLIC
Courtesy Joe Gedan
1/2 pound peeled garlic, with large cloves cut in half
1 large red bell pepper, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
In large bowl, combine garlic cloves and bell pepper. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar. Place spices in spice bag and add to pan. Boil 5 minutes.
Add garlic and bell pepper and continue to boil 5 more minutes.
Remove and discard spice bag and place garlic in sterile jars, filling jars with brine to cover garlic and pepper. Store in refrigerator for 4 weeks before serving. Makes about 4 16-ounce Mason jars of pickles.
Approximate nutritional information, per 1 ounce serving: 30 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein
