Sometimes good cooking is all about seeing the ingredients that are in front of you. We saved the pickle brine from the pickles that we used to make smoked thousand island dressing for our chicken sandwiches for tomorrow's pop up at ITV. We decided to use some of the sauce for coleslaw because vegetables always make a good sandwich better. I was shredding the cabbage today and thinking about salting it, when I remembered the brine in the fridge. I added it to the cabbage along with a judicious dose of salt and let it sit for a few hours to soften and absorb the flavor of the brine. Later on I will drain the liquid and mix it with the dressing. This way I'm starting with seasoned cabbage to pair with the dressing rather than having it leach all of the salt out of the sauce and throw everything out of balance. Plain old salt would have been just fine but by using the brine from the pickles in the sauce there's this extra level of flavor that will help bring it all together. And I'll have to see how the salted cabbage flavored pickle brine tastes. It may have another home in our kitchen.
Years Past
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
