On Briny Goodness.....
Everyone loves a good pickled pepper once in a while. Whether it be a spicy cherry bomb pepper or a milder pepperoncini, these peppers add a hint of acidity and heat to anything you put them on. I myself have been known to indulge in these briny capsicums on top of fried fish, sandwiches, and soups amongst other things. In my home country of Nicaragua we actually take peppers, onions and carrots and brine them in distilled white vinegar for a good month, after which we use it as a condiment that can be found in any house or restaurant. We eat both the vegetables and the brining liquid; which I believe to be the best part.
The other day at work I was cutting some pepperoncini and I decided to save the brine. I was curious to sample the effects of adding brine to both broths and soups. I added the briny liquid to a harissa broth I was using for a swordfish special. The brine added a hint of acidity while enhancing the rest of the ingredients. It created a harmonious balance of heat, savoriness, acidity, and sweetness from the seafood paired with the harissa.
Its unfortunate that this briny liquid is something that is commonly overlooked and thrown out. Looking into it now, the possibilities of what you can do with it are endless. It could probably be used for a vinaigrette or as a poaching liquid; there are so many routes we can approach it with. I'm planning to experiment with different brines from capers, olives, etc. Here's pictures of a couple of specials i used the brine in.
The first picture was a special I made with confit leg of lamb; which I then formed into a croquette. I served it with summer kale, zucchini, roasted garlic and a strained peperonata sauce. In this application I just added a couple of splashes of the brining liquid around the sauce. It gave the dish that extra note of acidity needed to cut through the fatty savoriness of the lamb.
For this dish i seared my swordfish to medium rare and removed it from the pan. I added my clams, garlic, basil, and shrimp and deglazed with white wine. After that I added my harissa and tomato product along with the brine and finished it off with butter. The brining liquid elevated the seafood to another level...it accentuated the sweetness of the clams and shrimp and brought forth the subtle flavor of the swordfish.
The other day at work I was cutting some pepperoncini and I decided to save the brine. I was curious to sample the effects of adding brine to both broths and soups. I added the briny liquid to a harissa broth I was using for a swordfish special. The brine added a hint of acidity while enhancing the rest of the ingredients. It created a harmonious balance of heat, savoriness, acidity, and sweetness from the seafood paired with the harissa.
The first picture was a special I made with confit leg of lamb; which I then formed into a croquette. I served it with summer kale, zucchini, roasted garlic and a strained peperonata sauce. In this application I just added a couple of splashes of the brining liquid around the sauce. It gave the dish that extra note of acidity needed to cut through the fatty savoriness of the lamb.
For this dish i seared my swordfish to medium rare and removed it from the pan. I added my clams, garlic, basil, and shrimp and deglazed with white wine. After that I added my harissa and tomato product along with the brine and finished it off with butter. The brining liquid elevated the seafood to another level...it accentuated the sweetness of the clams and shrimp and brought forth the subtle flavor of the swordfish.
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