Michael Symon's Pickled Chillis

More than a year ago, I agreed to help Michael Symon with his cookbook.  He'd been asking for a while and I'd always wanted to but various other projects, his and mine, got in the way. Last fall time opened up for me and with Michael's growing presence on television, his opening new restaurants in Cleveland and beyond, the time was ripe.

I wanted to do this book for three simple reasons: Michael really, really, really wanted to do a book, and I wanted him have this wish. Second, I loved hanging out with him and his wife Liz, and simply being at his restaurants (Powder, more marrow please!), and a book would mean plenty of enforced hanging out time, cooking and talking about food and cooking.  Third, I loved his food.  It was dynamic and interesting and unusually simple.  Michael has a genius not only for big flavors, but for simplicity.  Or as one of his cooks put it, "Michael does great do-at-home food."

I've often talked about my dislike of cookbooks, particularly chef cookbooks.  Ironic that I seem to have written several of them myself, but there it is.  What I always ask myself before entering a project is why do we need another cookbook?  My answer here was because I want to know and explore this very accessible form of cooking.  Michael gives a range of restaurant preparations from pig's ears to beef cheek pierogies (a staple at his restaurant Lola), but also plenty of family style meals, such as grilled lamb chops and roasted chicken (which is made special and fantastic with a killer salsa verde).

The book, Michael Symon's Live To Cook, won't be out till next fall, but Amazon has put the book up for presale now, and last week, after Donna stole my fresh batch of Michael's pickled chilli peppers when the Cleveland sun made a rare appearance, I had to do a preview post.

I'll write more about the book when it comes out but for now, please make these addictive pickled chilli peppers.  First, they're beautiful and inspiring to look at.  And second they enliven everything from stews to braised short ribs to sauteed pork loin or to sharpen meats sliced for sandwiches.  Tossed with some parsley leaves, they make an incredible garnish for grilled steak.  They're great to have on hand and keep for ages in the fridge.  But they're really a lesson in how a little bit of intense contrasting color and flavor utterly transforms a dish, makes it vault from pretty good to out-of-this-world, can't-stop-thinking-about-it must-have-it-now food.

Michael Symon's Pickled Chillis

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.

Comments

[mary]

more attractive than a lava lamp and far more versatile in purpose.

[Cameron S.]

What a great picture. Will have to make this soon, I always have many types of peppers on hand commonly stocked at my home.

[Paul Kobulnicky]

Nothing is quite as good as a (sharp) cheese sandwich on good crusty bread with pickled hot peppers.

[Phil]

Perhaps Donna's finest picture yet. Well done. And thanks for Michael's recipe. I'll definitely make these once my peppers start growing this Spring/Summer.

[joelfinkle]

It ought to be obvious, but to avoid people ending up with muddy pickling liquid, perhaps the ingredients list should say

2 Tablespoons coriander seed (whole)
1 Teaspoon cumin seed (whole)

[Kim]

This photo and last year's photo of tomato aspic are seared in my brain. When is Donna going to publish her coffee table book of food porn? I will be first in line to purchase it.

[three rivers food]

I like the ode to poreserved foods just before planting season begins. The foreshadowing is fantastic.

[Jenna]

I've recently discovered the joy of pickling vegetables, and will certainly give this a try.

Do I need to be concerned with any of these peppers coming from the store with a wax coating on them? I'm not sure why that idea comes to mind, but just curious.

[Ross]

Like... Mama Lil's, but with a much higher ratio of awesome-by-volume. Those look mighty tasty. Only one question:

My mother and grandmother, who taught me how to can, raised me to believe that pickled things absolutely must be boiled after canning to assure their safety -- the concern, of course, being botulism. My recent research has indicated that pickles, due to their high acidity, are safe. Do you have an authoritative word on this?

(It should be noted that this will not for a second keep me from going and making, and subsequently eating, these peppers. Hooray!)

[mary]

maybe it's because they're being refrigerated as opposed to being put up in a cellar?

[ruhlman]

yes, if they were to be stored at room temperature, you would want everything sterile and follow proper canning procedure. and yes, the high acidity and refrigeration would make it difficult for botulism bacteria to grow.

and i don't know about the wax coating. try not to buy those, though i doubt it's harmful

[luanda]

Wonderful photo and excellent prose as usual. Just wondering why you chose to use the unusual spelling of "chillis". Not a single source listed that as a preferred spelling. It was usually the last option, if listed at all. Love your books and blog. Cannot wait till Symon's book comes out in Nov., though it feels like it already.

[Vivian]

Now that looks absolutely delicious! I have about about 9 different varieties of peppers that I just started from seed last week and I am chomping at the bit for the weather to warm up enough to start planting them. We pickled and canned a bunch of peppers last year and they made great gifts for many of our friends and neighbors.

[Tags]

-
Like Jacques Pepin and Richard Olney before you, your books are more technique cookbooks than recipe cookbooks.

Now if only you could give us a technique to reach into our screens and grab that jar of chilis. It's not like I haven't already tried.

[three rivers food]

whats the ratio of vinegar to sugar?

[Katie]

A note about the canning: the best way to avoid botulism issues is pressure canning. In this case, hot water canning would be sufficient because of the acidity. Similarly, jellies tend to be so high in sugar that pressure canning is not required. For other (non-pickled or jellied) items, pressure canning is best. Even tomatoes aren't acidic enough. Also, typically canning salt is recommended to avoid cloudiness, as Kosher salt still has additives that can form a sediment. Here in NC, I've found canning salt in some "lower end" grocery stores (Food Lion), and in almost all grocery stores during canning season.

[IHOP]

Well, now I know what I'm doing this weekend.

[Luke]

For the salt, were you measuring using kosher salt or table salt? I usually use kosher salt for pickling and table salt for recipes. Just want to make sure it is not too salty.

[Brad West]

Hi Michael,

I am so totally stoked with this post, When I was growing up we canned all the time, fruits veggies, meat you name it i so bad want to get set up to do that again.

Now you have a pic of Jerky I have to check out.

You are giving me such a blast from the past.
What a rush.

Thanks
Brad West ~ onomoney

[Kate in the NW]

Any reason you can't chop/slice the veggies before pickling (other than pure aesthetics?)

[Sara]

Great photo!

Every summer my mother, my sisters, and I make dill refrigerator pickles. We don't sterilize the jars since we store the pickles in the fridge. They could last for a month or 2 but they usually don't make more than a few weeks.

I am looking forward to the new book.

[Karin (Grew up in Cleveland and miss it in VA)]

Congrats to the both of you. Can't wait to get my copy.

I'm looking forward to giving this recipe at try. An interesting and flavorful variation. Almost too bad that now everyone will know how easy it really is to make something this good.

Let me know if you're doing a book signing in my region.

It's really wonderful what a little Cleveland sunshine can do!

[ruhlman]

no reason you can't slice before hand (could fit more peppers in the jar that way.

always use kosher salt!

[mary lynn]

There are a variety of acceptable spellings of chile. Chile is the spelling in Spanish. Chili is the "Americanized" spelling. The double "l" is also an acceptable spelling variation. mary lynn

[lisaiscooking]

Gorgeous pickled peppers. Mincing them to include in a spicy vinaigrette comes to mind. Can't wait to see the book.