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At your fingertips: Quick pickling is a great way to keep flavor-boosting pantry staples at the ready

As a professional chef, one of the questions I am most asked is, “What do you cook at home?” People are always shocked to hear that we eat pretty simple meals despite having two professional chefs living in the same household (my fiancé is also a chef). The last thing either of us wants to do when we get home from a long day is cook an elaborate meal. Our goal is to nourish ourselves while, of course, maintaining something delicious.

Grace Goudie, executive chef at Scratchboard Kitchen in Arlington Heights. Courtesy of LXMGMT

Now, you may ask, how can one cook a tasty meal without spending hours in the kitchen? It is quite simple. Enter my grand idea that I refer to as pantry staples. You can make and keep these items in your fridge or pantry and use them over several weeks. My kitchen is filled with various pantry staples to throw together a delicious meal in a few minutes. Pantry staples help you level up your kitchen game while still having time to do everything else in your busy schedule.

My absolute go-to pantry staple is my quick, easy pickled red onions. Throw these on a burger, in a salad or eat them alone. The world is your oyster when it comes to the utilization of pickled onions. They’re crunchy, colorful and delicious. What is better than that?

Pickling is one of the oldest practices in food. Incredibly, pickling was done hundreds of years ago for the same reason today: to preserve food. There are many ways to add unique flavors and ingredients to your pickling method. I love adding turmeric to the mix when pickling a daikon radish or pink peppercorns in the summer when pickling kohlrabi. You can even use the leftover liquid to make a delicious salad dressing. This recipe is just a baseline to let your creativity soar.

Grace Goudie can be found making composed but not complicated recipes on her website www.gracegoudie.com or @chefgracegoudie on Instagram and TikTok. You can dine on Chef Grace’s creative dishes at Scratchboard Kitchen in Arlington Heights.

Quick Pickled Onions

1 red onion

2 cups champagne vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1. For the onion: Start by slicing the onions into strips, formally known as a julienne, following the natural line of the onion.

2. For the liquid: Next, combine the water, vinegar and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. For the pickles: After the mixture is boiling, put the onions into the liquid and bring back to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the onions with a piece of plastic wrap. Let the onions cool while submerged in the liquid. Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

― Grace Goudie

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