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Yuzu Pickles

I love a good bread and butter pickle, so I decided to create my own version. While I don’t have the classic spices here, my blend of rice vinegar and yuzu juice approximates the same acidity of the original. These are terrific with (or on) sandwiches. Of course, I like to eat them straight, too.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

1 large European cucumber (1 pound)
3 fresh green Thai chiles, halved lengthwise
1 3/4 cups Japanese rice vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons yuzu juice (see Pantry, page 253)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    With a vegetable peeler, remove strips of cucumber peel lengthwise 1/2 inch apart to create vertical stripes. Use a mandoline or very sharp knife to cut the cucumber crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Transfer to a nonreactive container.

    Step 2

    Combine the chiles, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

    Step 3

    Stir the yuzu juice into the chile mixture and pour over the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family. Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.
TagsPickleCondimentCucumberVegetableThai ChileChileYuzuCitrusFruitVegetarianVeganNut FreeDairy FreeMake AheadEasyCookbooks
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