Pickled onions preserve happy memories
I’ve been called upon to make pickled red onions twice in recent weeks. Once for a dinner party, then for the most recent “Open Flame” at American Propane.
The recipe produces a sweet and spicy condiment that adds texture and beauty to any dish from fried eggs to slowroasted meats — especially if the marriage is staged on a homemade tortilla or flatbread.
Because the recipes for those events stack up, I’ve decided to share it a month early.
It also seemed fitting because as I made the onions for a second time in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day, it brought happy memories of my son, Luke, who passed away earlier this year.
Pickling and fermenting made up a great portion of his interest in cooking at the time of his death.
Anytime I told him I was thinking of adding pickled onions to a dish, he never failed to tell me
“good idea.”
Luke made these onions many times before he ever started culinary school at Francis Tuttle, but he learned the science behind it there and began to see a world made better by preserving methods. He built on that passion at the restaurants where he worked, which were Chae, The Hutch on Avondale and Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes.
For Father’s Day, my daughter, Kate, and I had lunch at Barrios and dinner at Chae.
Luke worked the saute station at Barros and took pride in his job and being part of that kitchen. Though he’d planned to leave Barrios in April to begin a new attack on life, he always planned to return.
“(A) Good Egg (Dining) is my future,” Luke told his mother not long before his passing.
Kate and I had a mix of skirt steak and shrimp fajitas. Among the condiments, a slaw topped with pickled onions. I remember how proud he was they were made in house. The last time I ate at Barrios before Sunday was my birthday, the day after Christmas. I ordered special tacos that night I knew would come from the saute station. Luke made it out as we were midway through that meal to wish me a happy birthday, but mostly to make sure the food came out right. It did. I can’t remember ever being prouder of my son than to see the look of pride on his face as he stood by our table that night. It brought tears to my eyes then and suppose the memory of it will continue to do so until I’m all out of tears or unable to remember.
We made it over to Chae for dinner at 8:30, giving us plenty of time to build an appetite. And did we need it. Owner Daniel Chae and chef Taylor Desjarlais were lying in wait. Luke worked at Chae from the opening and stayed for a year. He developed more as a young man and chef there than anywhere, specifically when it came to pickling.
Chae features house pickles daily. Chef Desjarlais challenged his kitchen crew to come up with their own pickled vegetables as candidates for the daily offering. One of Luke’s proudest moments as a young chef was the day his pickled veggie mix was chosen. Luke often talked about how proud he was to be a charter member of the Chae family. Sunday’s dinner was a reminder of why. We were treated to an inspiring array of flavors and techniques.
And it was healing to celebrate Father’s Day with my daughter in the places where our loved one was happiest. Where he felt like an accepted contributor to culture. Where he made people happy.
I’d like to take this opportunity, again, to thank all of you who’ve written, called, texted, messaged your condolences and concerns in the months following Luke’s passing. The family he left behind too soon is healing, thanks in no small part to the support of all you.
Above is the recipe for pickled onions, hope you enjoy.