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
- 1pound peeled pearl onions
- 2 ½tablespoons mustard seeds
- 2 ½tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1tablespoon allspice berries
- 1tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2cloves
- 2tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed
- 3dry bay leaves, broken up
- 1quart rice-wine vinegar
- ½cup warm water
- 1cup white sugar
- 2 ½tablespoons salt
Instructions
Step 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.