The perfect little topper, these Pickled Red Onions are sweet, spicy, tart, fruity, and full of punch you in the mouth (in a good way) flavor.

In choral pieces, no matter how traditional or modern the arrangement, the Alto line is typically the most “mundane”, a constant in helping develop the structure of the chord and overall harmonic scheme. It tends to be fairly over-looked for the more showy Soprano line, with the soaring high notes or melismatic melodies, or sometimes the Tenor line, which tends to add those pivotal half step harmonies that can completely change the timbre and tone of a piece. In the culinary world, Salt is the alto line in any dish of any cuisine, simultaneously enhancing and bringing out the best of each different element of each ingredient. Think of how bland a potato is when eaten just boiled and plain - a soft, mushy texture that is a bit uninspired. Add a bit of salt and suddenly the potato develops earthy undertones, a bit of sweetness from the natural sugars in the vegetable, and the potato flavor goes from slightly muddled to intensely potato-y.

One of the game changer ingredients, flourishes, and utterly delicious garnishes that can take a dish from good to unbelievable is a Pickled Red Onion. Like the Tenor line, sometimes the sharpness and bright acidity of the onion completely takes a dish from an ordinary flavor to a transcendent experience on a completely different note. Take a traditional Greek Salad. Typically the punch and spice from a plain red onion enhance the sharp Feta cheese, sweet tomatoes, sour tang from the Kalamata olives, and acidity from the lemon in the Vinaigrette. However, swap out the plain red onions for red onions that have been pickled, and all of a sudden that pretty great salad is transformed into completely addictive, familiar and comfortable but in a completely different way.

Pickled Red Onions are some of my favorite garnishes for a plethora of dishes, ranging from topping this Chili, to sandwiches or these Chicken Gyros for a little extra punch, on salads like the aforementioned Greek Salad, to very richly spiced dishes like my Dak Bulgogi (a Korean dish, spicy chicken flavored with Gochujang and other elements). Incredibly flavorful, a little bit of these little guys goes a long way, so it is one of those dishes you can make and add to EVERYTHING if you so wish.

For a very small amount of kitchen work, you reap majorly flavorful rewards for a multitude of different meals.

Traditionally the pickling liquid is made with straight Red Wine Vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. It is an extremely simple process, just boiling everything then letting the onions soak in the flavored liquid. I however, have tinkered and played around with an old restaurant version to add nuances and spice to the mixture. A bit of Apple Cider Vinegar and a healthy amount of Red Pepper Flakes transform a standard Pickled Red Onion into something slightly fruity, punchy, and very zippy with a nice bite of heat that peeks through at the end.

One of the things that separates Restaurant food from home cooking are the little garnishes like Pickled Red Onions. This is one of those garnishes that is such an uncomplicated process to make at home it is almost a crime to NOT make it to take your home cooking from good to extremely special. If you take the time to properly can them, they make a beautiful, thoughtful gift (for someone who obviously loves onions) that does not break the bank or take an incredible amount of time to present them with a slightly different, homemade gift. In your own home, making your dishes sing and harmonize in a different way by using a familiar ingredient in a different way can transform it from a pumpkin into a carriage.

Serve these little Pickled Red Onions to guests with a Charcuterie Board and appear SUPER fancy for very little work.

Pickled Red Onions

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 2 to 2 1/2 Cups

These punchy little Pickled Red Onions take almost no time to get pickling in the fridge. In the instructions, I give detailed instruction in how to cut the red onion by hand, but you can also use a Mandolin slicer if you have it.

I have used this pickling solution on Shallots, Yellow, and White Onions as well. I prefer the punch and sweetness of the Red Onions, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

I LOVE spicy food, but realize that others may have a less tolerant palate to a high heat level. You can adjust the Red Pepper Flakes down to just a pinch if you like, but I personally love the extra zing the higher amount of heat brings to the onions.

Ingredients

1 Large Red Onion, sliced thin and then into inch long lengths
3/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Granulated White Sugar
2 Tbsp KOSHER Salt
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Directions

Cut and slice the red onion. Cut off the ends, lay the onion flat on one of the cut ends and slice the onion in half down the middle. This allows you to easily remove the outer peel. Place each onion half so the founded side is facing up and cut into 4 sections. Then, as thin as you can, slice these cut sections into 1/16” slices. You should end up with roughly 2 to 2 1/2 Cups. Gently break apart the slices the best you can then Transfer to a container that seals well and set aside.
In a medium sauce pot, combine the water, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes, until sugar has dissolved and liquid has very slightly thickened.
Pour hot liquid over prepared onions, taking care to submerge onions completely in pickling liquid. Let cool on counter for half an hour, then transfer to fridge. Onions will be ready to use in a minimum of 2 hours, but the longer they sit, the better they taste.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 1/2 weeks.