Pickled Cocktail Onions

This flavorsome — and relatively fast — recipe comes from Los Angeles-based bartender Gabriella Mlynarczyk. Pickled onions are the classic garnish for the Gibson cocktail, but if you love these briny, crunchy, little alliums as much as I do, you might find yourself tossing them into your gin and tonics and vodka and sodas, too (and adding them to cornichons and mustard as accoutrements for pâté).

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled pearl onions
• 2.5 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2.5 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed
• 3 dry bay leaves, broken up
• 1 quart rice-wine vinegar
• 0.5 cup warm water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons salt

Steps

1. Stir together until sugar and salt dissolve before using. Add onions, brine and 2 tablespoons of pickling-spice blend to a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat immediately. Pour onions and liquid into a sterilized Mason jar. Cover and store at room temperature for two days before using. Refrigerate after opening.