The pickled cucumbers at Whiskey Cake restaurant in Plano. (Photo by Rich Vana)
It’s not unusual for a first-time customer at Whiskey Cake in Plano to have a strong first impression of the restaurant’s pickle – speared high atop their burger, it’s a testament to the pride their kitchen takes in these transformed cucumbers. Crunchy and vibrant, the house-made pickles at Whiskey Cake have become so popular that they now sell them by the jar to customers who can’t seem to get enough.
“Historically a lot of places have used pickling as a preservation method with all their local ingredients,” says Whiskey Cake Sous Chef Chris Wade, who is responsible for the pickles. “Now we’re all accustomed to the luxury of having all sorts of different flavors, and so we pickle with the intent of making something flavorful and enjoyable with the intent of achieving a desired result with all sorts of different components and spices.”
While Whiskey Cake sells and uses all sorts of different pickled vegetables, it’s the dill pickle recipe that they chose to share with Entrée Dallas – a recipe that’s been well considered by Wade.
“I think it’s a wonderfully balanced recipe,” he says. “It’s got enough sugar to balance out the vinegar, but we’ve got some chili flakes and garlic in there to kick up the flavor – and they have wonderful texture.”
These pickles are quick and easy to make – to preserve them for an extended period of time, use standard canning procedure. The pickles below should be refrigerated and consumed within four weeks.
Whiskey Cake Executive Chef John Franke adds that their pickled cucumbers are made with locally sourced Kirby Cucumbers.
Pickled Cucumbers
By Published: September 4, 2012
- Yield: 3 pounds
- Prep: 30 mins
The pickles at Whiskey Cake in Plano are crisp and sweet with a tart and spicy kick - good for burgers, sandwiches, relishes and even just a quick snack.
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Pickling Cucumbers Preferably locally sourced Kirbys
- 1/2 Gallon White Distilled Vinegar
- 4 Cups Water
- 4 Ounces Garlic Cloves
- 3 Arbol Chiles
- 4 Ounces Fresh Dill
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns
- 3 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Bring all of the ingredients except cucumbers to a boil.
- Tightly fill a large, heat-proof container (for example, a Pyrex bowl) with cucumbers and top with boiling liquid.
- Cover with a salad bowl or plate to keep cucumbers submerged in the liquid and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place in the refrigerator while still hot, and soak for 48 hours.
- Once soaked for a minimum of 48 hours, remove from liquid and slice into rings or spears, if desired.
- Strain liquid and pour back over pickles.
- Refrigerate cut pickles in the liquid and enjoy!
HOW TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS – Eli Rosenblit
(ALSO CABBAGE*, CAULIFLOWER*, CARROTS & CELERY)
TOOLS
A glass or plastic jar (2-3 liters, a plastic bottle is also a possibility), a 200 cc glass, a teaspoon and a sharp knife.
INGREDIENTS
1. 2-3 kilos of small, hard cucumbers.
2. 3-4 red hot peppers or red chili peppers.
3. 3 seeds of English pepper.
4. 1/2 a head of garlic or 4-6 garlic cloves.
5. Celery root and leaves (1 big) – a must!
6. 1/2 a package of dill leaves.
7. Cooking salt.
8. 3/4 glass of 5% citrus vinegar.
9. 4 bay leaves.
10. A spoon of mustard seeds.
PREPARATION (CUCUMBERS)
Soak in water for at least an hour before preparation. At the bottom of the jar, place a 1/3 of the hot peppers, the English pepper seeds, half of the garlic head (no need to peel it). Peel the celery root and slice it thickly (1cm each slice), then place 2 of the slices at the bottom of the jar and add the bay leaves.
1. Arrange the cucumbers vertically in the jar (it saves space that way).
2. At this stage add another 1/3 of the hot peppers and a few celery (3-4) celery leaves + the stem. Continue arranging the cucumbers.
3. Put the other half of the garlic head in the jar, together with the last 1/3 of the hot peppers and the last celery slice, and continue to arrange the cucumbers.
4. Now spread the mustard seeds and at the top of the jar, arrange the dill leaves in a circle.
5. The secret to success is in the correct salt-water ration, which is: one full teaspoon of salt for each glass of water until the jar is full and the add the vinegar.
6. The jar must be placed in a shaded place and the cucumbers will be ready in 3-4 days. It’s recommended to taste the cucumber water once in a while and, if possible, turn the jar upside-down.
7. When the liquid is thick, take out the dill. The jar must be kept in the refrigerator when the cucumbers are ready.
PREPARATION OF OTHER VEGETABLES
1. Cut the cabbage into 8 parts but keep them joined in the middle.
2. Break the cauliflower into small flowers.
3. Cut the carrots into halves and then into strips.
4. The celery should be cut into small pieces (2-4 cm).
*The cabbage and the cauliflower must be soaked twice in boiling water, for 3 minutes each time (to extract their bitterness) and the amount of vinegar should be twice that needed for the cucumbers. Also add a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for a yellow color.
The rest is the same as the cucumbers.
Bon appétit, Eli Rosenblit