Bourbon makes everything better

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For Father's day, my bride got me a couple of new books. One was River Cottage Veg, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. This is the guy that inspired the original desire to have our own flock of chickens puttering around the back yard. I love almost all his stuff. And I've already cooked out of this book. 

But perhaps even more inspiring was the new book, Smoke & Pickles by Edward Lee.  He's a son of Korean immigrants, who grew up in Brooklyn, married a German woman, and moved to Louisville, KY to open a restaurant. His food reflects all of the above, with a healthy dose of bourbon and country ham. On top of a rice bowl. Covered with ground pork rinds. I think I just had a moment. 

The first thing I made from his book is bourbon-pickled jalapeños. 

Because of course it was. 

Recipe:  

  • 1 pound jalapeños 
  • 1.25 cups of white vinegar
  • 1 cup bourbon
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  1. Slice the peppers into quarter inch rounds and drop into jars.
  2. Combine everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for five minutes.
  3. Pour the hot liquid over the peppers and seal the jars with a tight fitting lid. Let cool to room temp before refrigerating.
  4. The peppers will be ready in 3 days, and will keep for a couple of weeks.

I used my favorite bourbon, which pained me a bit (this stuff is not cheap). But the best ingredients make for the best flavors, generally. 

Make plenty. You will want to share these.