Zucchini Pickles

There are quite a number of ways to play around with the personality of these pickles. Sometimes
I shave the zucchini paper-thin, resulting in a whispy tangle of pickled zucchini and onions.  Other times I want my pickles to have a bit more bite, structure, and definition. In those instances, I slice the zucchini thicker, perhaps 1/8-inch, and let them drain as long as possible, sometimes overnight refrigerated. Also worth noting, when I make them for our personal condiment stash, I used a brown natural cane sugar. It gives the pickle liquid a brownish cast that, quite frankly, weirds people out if they don't know what is causing it. So, if I'm making the pickles to bring to a BBQ or something, I'll make them with regular organic cane sugar - one that is lighter in color.


3 medium zucchini (1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g), thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup (small handful) fresh dill sprigs
1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

3/4 cup / 180 ml cider vinegar
3/4 cup / 180 ml white wine vinegar
1/3 cup / 1.75 oz / 50g natural cane sugar



Toss the zucchini, onion, shallots, and salt together in a colander and place over a bowl to catch the liquids. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Toss once or twice along the way. You're aiming to get as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible.  When you're finished draining the zucchini, shake off any water. At this point you want the zucchini as dry as possible. Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar along with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds. Alternately, you can cram them into a 3/4 liter Weck jar like I do, but it's always a bit snug in the jar.

Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and continue to boil for a few minutes. Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar. Let cool, then refrigerate. The pickles are good for a week or so.

Makes one large jar.

Michael Symon's Pickled Chilies

Choose a colorful variety of chillis, fresno, jalapeno, banana, tomato, serrano—the thick fleshed peppers work best. The method is very simple, simply fill a jar with peppers, bring the pickling liquid to a simmer and pour it hot over the peppers. You can use them once they're cooled but they're best after they've been sitting in the pickle for a few weeks. They'll keep for a long time–how long, I don't know because I always use them up for I can find out.

Pickling Liquid

sherry vinegar
sugar
salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
4 sprigs of marjoram
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 to 2 pounds chillis (or enough to fill whatever vessel you're using)

Place chillis in a jar and cover them with water. Pour off the water into a measuring cup. Note the volume, pour off half the water and replace it with vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons salt for every three cups of liquid.

Combine your liquid and remaining spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then let cool slightly. Pour the pickling liquid over the peppers, screw the lid on and refrigerate. To use, slice into rings, chop or mince depending how you want to use them.

UPDATE 4/3: Kate in NW e-mailed the following, which I'm happily sharing here. Great idea Kate!


I just HAD to write you about this…

I made those pickled peppers you wrote about and you were right – they didn't last long! Being of Scottish ancestry, I just couldn't bring myself to throw away the brine, so I boiled up a dozen eggs, peeled them and plunked them in there for a week (refrigerated) while we were on vacation. THEY ARE SO GOOD!!!! Perfect for a picnic lunch – if summer ever comes. And now I won't feel guilty about throwing away the brine, having re-used it to such great effect! Thanks again for another great recipe/technique.

Cheese Sauce for Nachos

Note: This cheese sauce is gooey and tangy. For a spicier version, substitute half the cheddar cheese with Pepper Jack and add 2-3 minced pickled jalapeños, or to taste.

To reheat the sauce, microwave it on high heat, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds until it's fully melted.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups), active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes


Ingredients

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (or a mix of cheddar and pepper Jack—see note), grated on large holes of a box grater
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons Franks Red Hot or other hot sauce


Procedures


Add cheese and cornstarch to large bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer to medium saucepan. Add 1 cup evaporated milk and hot sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with whisk until melted, bubbly, and thickened (about 5 minutes). Mixture will look thin and grainy at first but will thicken and come together after heating. Thin to desired consistency with additional evaporated milk. Serve immediately with fries, tortilla chips, burgers, or hot dogs.

Fast Fish Tacos

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp grated lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, evenly divided
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
4 roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 jalepeno peppers
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb skinless halibut fillets, cut into thick strips (you can use any firm-fleshed white fish)
1 tsp paprika
Shredded cabbage, salted for 30+ minutes, rinsed and dried
12 corn tortillas



Combine the sour cream, lime zest, 1 TBSP lime juice, 1/4 cup cilantro and cumin and then season with salt and pepper.
Brush the tomato and pepper with oil and grill on both sides until charred and tender ~2 min/side. Remove the skin from tomatoes, then coarsely chop them with the jalapeno pepper and the remaining cilantro. Place in bowl with 1 TBSP lime juice. Season.
Brush the fish with oil and season. Grill until charred and cooked, ~ 3 min/side, then coaresly chop it into ~1/2" pieces.
Warm the tortillas, then spread each one with the crema.  Add some flaked fish, a little shredded cabbage, spoon some tomato sauce over, serve with remaining crema (and salsa if desired).

Homemade Mayonnaise

The food processor excels at many things, but none more than mayonnaise. Equipped with a smallish work bowl, an egg, a cup of oil, a dash of vinegar or lemon juice and pretty much anything else you can imagine, you can make unbelievable, mind-blowing mayonnaise while you’re washing the dishes.


The basics are below. But before getting to them, I want to share my latest triumph: pesto mayonnaise. I know this sounds like the sandwich spread offered by a casual dining operation but it is precisely a combination of pesto and mayonnaise, spurred by the abundance of basil in my refrigerator.
You start with mayonnaise, as below. With the egg and vinegar in the work bowl, add a big handful of basil — a loosely packed cup, say — a small handful of walnuts (maybe 1/4 cup, maybe 1/3); two medium cloves of garlic and the usual salt and pepper (leave out the mustard). Make the pesto with olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning and eat with fish or poached vegetables, or … as a sandwich spread. Just awesome.
It’s worth noting that any mayonnaise (including store bought) can be seasoned (see this Minimalist column from 2007), or thinned — with warm water (just stir a little into the food processor), cream or sour cream; this will make it saucier.


Yield 1 cup
Time 10 minutes
Adapted From "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman


Ingredients
1 egg yolk or whole egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice or sherry or white wine vinegar
1 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, or extra virgin olive oil, or a combination

Method

Put the yolk or egg, mustard, salt, pepper and lemon juice or vinegar in the container of a food processor and turn the machine on. While it's running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. (Your food processor should have a teeny hole you may never have noticed in the insert -- the "food pusher" -- in the top; if it doesn't, you might want a different food processor.). When an emulsion forms you can add it a little faster. (Again, the little hole makes this unnecessary.) Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Garlic Mayonnaise (Aioli) — Add 2 or more (as many as 8) cloves of garlic, to taste. Oil should be made up of at least half olive oil.

Chile Mayonnaise — Add 1 or 2 dried chilis, like ancho, Thai, or chipotle, soaked in warm water until soft, then drained, patted dry, and stemmed and seeded. (Or use 1 canned chipotle and a little of its adobo sauce.)

Roasted Pepper Mayonnaise — Add 1 roasted red, yellow or orange bell pepper.

Green Sauce, French-Style — Add 1 sprig tarragon, about 10 sprigs of watercress (thick stems removed), 10 chives and the leaves of 5 parsley stems.

Cold Mustard Sauce — Use 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon-style or whole grain mustard. Thin with a tablespoon or two of cream or sour cream to desired consistency.

13 More Ideas for Flavoring Mayonnaise

Add any of the following ingredients, alone or in combination.

1. A pinch of saffron.

2. Up to 1 tablespoon minced strong fresh herb leaves, like rosemary, oregano, tarragon, marjoram, epazote or thyme.

3. Up to 1/4 cup mild fresh herb leaves, like parsley, cilantro, chives, chervil or basil.

4. Up to 1/4 cup minced sweet pickles.

5. 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste.

6. 1 teaspoon wasabi powder, or to taste.

7. 1 teaspoon or more grated citrus zest.

8. At least a teaspoon prepared horseradish.

9. A few dashes of Tabasco, Worcestershire or other prepared sauce.

10. Up to 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans.

11. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger.

12. Up to 2 tablespoons chili powder.

13. 2 or 3 anchovies, blended in at the very end; be sure to omit the salt.

French Potato Salad with Dijon Mustard and Fines Herbes

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Published July 1, 2002.   Cooks illustrated

If any of the fresh herbs aren't available, just add additional amounts of those that aren't. For best flavor, serve the salad warm, but to make ahead, follow the recipe through step 2, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Before serving, bring the salad to room temperature, then add the shallots and herbs.

• 2 pounds small red potatoes (about 2-inch diameter), unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 medium clove garlic , peeled and threaded on skewer
• 1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2  teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chervil leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves

Instructions

1. Place potatoes, 6 cups cold tap water, and salt in large saucepan; bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Lower skewered garlic into simmering water and partially blanch, about 45 seconds. Immediately run garlic under cold tap water to stop cooking; remove garlic from skewer and set aside. Continue to simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender but still firm (thin-bladed paring knife can be slipped into and out of center of potato slice with no resistance), about 5 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Arrange hot potatoes close together in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.

2. Press garlic through garlic press or mince by hand. Whisk garlic, reserved potato cooking water, vinegar, mustard, oil, and pepper in small bowl until combined. Drizzle dressing evenly over warm potatoes; let stand 10 minutes.

3. Toss shallot and herbs in small bowl. Transfer potatoes to large serving bowl; add shallot/herb mixture and mix gently with rubber spatula to combine. Serve immediately.

Tlacoyo Masa Pockets

If you've ever made your own tortillas, you know how easy it is to work with masa, the meal made from ground, dried corn treated with lime. You can find it in any Mexican market, and some grocery stores (Maseca brand, which is also the name of the dried form, is a standard brand). With simply water and a pinch of salt, you have the makings of the freshest tortilla you've ever tasted.

  

That's not all masa is good for, though. You can also leave it a little thicker and use it as a dough for Tlacoyos, a Mexican cornmeal dough pocket similar to Salvadorian pupusas. (Doesn't every culture in the world have some kind of edible pocket stuffed with filling? Calzones? Pork buns?)
 
Working with masa is quick, and so is the filling: a can of beans mashed up with sauteed onion and garlic, and Oaxaca cheese, which is basically a Mexican version of string cheese. Monterey Jack also makes a fine substitute.

  

Ingredients
serves 4

  

• 1 cup masa flour
• 3/4 cup water, more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat, or oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans
• 2 oz shredded Oaxaca cheese (or substitute Monterey Jack)
• Salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons neutral oil for frying
• Salsa for serving
• Chopped onion and/or cilantro for garnish

 

Procedures

 In a bowl, combine the masa, water, and salt. Form into a ball so that all the flour is incorporated. Add more water if needed to make a moist dough. Set aside.

 

In a skillet, heat the lard, bacon fat, or oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until starting to color. Add the beans, undrained, and raise the heat to high. Cook for a couple minutes, then mash roughly with a spatula and remove from the heat.

 

Divide the masa dough into 4 pieces and flatten them between two pieces of plastic wrap using a heavy skillet or tortilla press. Lay them on a cutting board and divide the beans and cheese among them, then carefully fold over and pinch to create a half-moon shaped pocket.

 

Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the pockets (cook them in two batches to avoid crowding). cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden, then drain on paper towels. Serve with the salsa and garnishes.

  

Printed from http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/08/tlacoyo-masa-pockets-recipe.html
by Blake Royer, August 6, 2010
© Serious Eats