Pickle & Preserve

This recipe was created to accompany Crown Roast of Lamb .

If you’d like to serve a sauce alongside, strain 1/4 cup of the cooled pickling liquid, and whisk it with 1 cup of mayonnaise. For ease, the shrimp are left unpeeled; if you peel them before cooking, leave the tails on.

A charming alchemy takes place when you "quick-pickle" red onions. They act very sweetly with a wide range of birds, meat, and fish, and I also use them in Papas a la Huancaina and Conch Salad.

Preserved lemons, sold ready-made in Moroccan souks, are essential to that country's cuisine. The peel, pulp, and juice squeezed from the lemons can all be used. Sometimes, however, the juice and preserving brine can be bitter; use fresh lemon juice in that case.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr (plus 1 week for flavors to develop)

In Asian cooking, angled loofah is typically braised or served in soups, but it's also perfectly suited to pickling. Try to buy young loofah (no longer than 12 inches). Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr (plus 2 days for marinating)

Lowcountry cooking is full of ideas that seem foreign to outsiders. This sweet and spicy chutney is the perfect foil for salty country ham. Ground together, the two form a paste for memorable appetizers.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Swedish Meatball Kebabs Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Pepper vinegar—the aromatic, piquant liquid from chiles that have been pickled for at least 3 weeks—is a household staple in many parts of the South. It is used in the kitchen and on the table to liven up stews and vegetable dishes. Store-bought pepper vinegar is available in southern supermarkets and West Indian markets.

There is no dessert course in a traditional Japanese meal. Instead, pickles that refresh the palate are often the last thing eaten.