We originally made these to garnish the Marble Potato Salad from “The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm” (Clarkson Potter) by Sam Beall, but love the crunch they add to sandwiches or as a garnish for anything from salad to eggs. (Photo is a placeholder for now, since I forgot to shoot them when I was making them; we’ll update once we make them again.)
Pickled Red Onions
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) natural cane sugar
2 whole allspice berries
1 whole star anise
1 clove garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
1 (3-inch) fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 red onions, cut into 1/4-inch julienne slices
In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, place the vinegar, water and cane sugar. In a spice bag or a large square of cheesecloth, place the allspice, star anise garlic cloves, thyme spring, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Tightly tie the bag and add it to the saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occassionally until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the onions, remove the pan from the heat and let stand until cool. Discard the bay leaf.
Use at once or transfer to a 1-quart Mason jar with the pickling liquid and spices and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
