Posts tagged chili
Pickled Garlic, Ginger, and Chilies

When I traveled to Vietnam in 2015, one thing I learned about the phở in the north (where my grandparents are from) is that the phở there is dangerously good. Everything is so simple, and the focus is on the clear and complex tasting broth. There is no need for hoisin or sriracha, or really all the extras that can drastically alter the flavor of the broth. I mean are we eating hoisin or sriracha phở? You guys, can we not? It really clouds the integrity of the broth IMO. Tasting the phở in the region of Hải Dương changed my entire way of thinking and eating when it came to phở. The simpler, the better. Focus on the broth. Take it slow, and make it a true labor of love. Now I also learned that in parts of the north, adding thinly sliced pickled garlic and chilies for a subtle flavor enhancement was a thing. It’s absolutely delicious. It doesn’t alter the broth, and it enhances it beautifully. Throw in a couple pickled Thai chilies for a slight kick, and you’ve got yourself an incredible bowl of pho (that is, if you put your all into making the broth). My pickled garlic recipe infuses ginger to make the pickling more fragrant. You can or don’t have to add the ginger into your bowl of pho. You can also eat this pickled concoction with any other dish you’d want to enhance.

PICKLED GARLIC, GINGER, AND CHILIES RECIPE

Degree of difficulty: 1 ( on a scale of 1-5 )

Preparation time 10 min

Cook Time: Less than 10 min

 YOU’LL NEED

  • A small saucepan

  • A heat safe bowl

  • An airtight jar for storage

 INGREDIENTS

  • 15 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced

  • 10 whole Thai chilies

  • 2” piece of ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced

  • 1 TBS sugar

  • 1 TSP salt

  • 2 CU distilled white vinegar

 DIRECTIONS

1. In a heatproof bowl, add your chilies, ginger, and garlic

2. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve sugar and salt.

3. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into your bowl of chilies, garlic, and ginger

4. Allow to cool, then transfer to a jar for storage. Your pickled concoction can be stored up to a month.

VI HOANGpickled, pickle, garlic, ginger, chili, sauce, condiments