Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [31]
Yield: 8 ounces/225 grams pickled vegetables
Pickling Spice
Commercial versions of pickling spice, available in the spice section of the grocery store, are acceptable, but this version is a little sweeter smelling and doesn’t have the pungent bay leaf aroma that dominates most store-bought brands.
2 tablespoons/20 grams black peppercorns
2 tablespoons/20 grams mustard seeds
2 tablespoons/20 grams coriander seeds
2 tablespoons/12 grams hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons/14 grams allspice berries
1 tablespoon/8 grams ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces
24 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons/6 grams whole cloves
1 tablespoon/8 grams ground ginger
1. Lightly toast the peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds in a small dry pan, then smash with the side of a knife just to crack them.
2. Combine the cracked spices with the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container or glass jar.
Yield: 1 cup/125 grams
TRADITIONAL DILL PICKLES
The quality of the vegetable is especially important here. If you start with mediocre grocery store baby cukes, you’re not likely to produce a crisp dill pickle. We recommend that you only pickle little cucumbers in season, when they are abundant, preferably ones you grow yourself or find at a local growers’ market. If you start with fresh-from-the garden cucumbers, the rest is simple.
THE BRINE
5 tablespoons/65 grams kosher salt
1 teaspoon/2 grams dill seeds
1⁄2 cup/125 milliliters white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon/3 grams black peppercorns
1 tablespoon/10 grams Pickling Spice (page 70 or store-bought)
5 cups/1.25 liters water
1 bunch fresh dill
10 pickling or baby cucumbers (about 1 pound/450 grams), washed
1. Combine all the brine ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
2. Place the dill and cucumbers in a jar or other nonreactive container just large enough to hold them and the brine and pour the brine over them. Allow to pickle in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, or until they are sour and thoroughly flavored by the herbs and spices. The pickles will keep a month or more in the refrigerator.
Yield: 10 pickles
HOME-CURED SAUERKRAUT
Curing your own cabbage results in delicious bright sauerkraut and a fresh tart flavor that’s far superior to the bagged version at your grocery store. It is so easy to do it’s well worth your while. The only caveat is that it’s a two-week fermentation, so plan ahead.
You can use any kind of cabbage, but ordinary green cabbage results in the deepest flavor and sturdy texture. After the cabbage is cured, the best way to serve the sauerkraut is braised in half pickling liquid and half chicken stock or water (use less or more stock or water to decrease or increase the acidity). Bring to a simmer in an ovenproof sauté pan on the stovetop then move it to a 300-degree-F./150-degree-C. oven for up to 30 minutes, until ready to serve. Add a bay leaf or other aromatic seasoning as you wish.
THE BRINE
17 cups/4 liters water
3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 grams kosher salt
1 green cabbage, about 3 pounds/1.5 kilograms, thinly sliced or shredded
1. Combine the water and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and let cool, then chill.
2. Combine the cabbage and brine in nonreactive container. Cover the cabbage with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel, then weight the cabbage and cloth down with a plate, pressing the plate down so that the cabbage is completely submerged. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in a cool place for 2 weeks (no hotter than 70 to 75 degrees F./21 to 23 degrees C., or nonbeneficial bacteria can begin to thrive.)
3. Drain the cabbage, reserving the brining liquid; the cabbage