Among the classic products that we can find in the assortment of appetizers throughout the country, we must never underestimate the power of pickles. If they are of quality and we combine them well, they reveal their full potential as flavor bombs that also turn out to be one of the healthiest options for snacking, and they are perfect for the hottest days.
Although it is true that you have to watch the amount of salt they contain a little, we can choose them by checking the labels to find those that have a better percentage, and drain them from their government liquid and rinse them well before serving.
In our proposal for a hot weekend snack we present seven simple appetizer recipes in which pickles shine with their own light, with different ideas that take advantage of their variety of flavors and textures, demonstrating the play they give when presenting them and combining them with other ingredients. Banderillas or pinchos, tartares, toasts, stuffed eggs, pâtés, dips… there are options for all palates.
1. Portuguese pica-pau
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and brown the garlic cloves. Withdraw. In the same skillet, brown strong fire the meat, seasoning it. Return the garlic and add the bay leaf. Add the paprika and Worcestershire sauce, stirring a few times over high heat.
Add the wine and lower the heat. let some cook 10-15 minutes, until the sauce reduces and the meat is well cooked. At the end of cooking, add the pickled vegetables, or incorporate them cold at the time of serving.
Full recipe | Pica-pau with pork and pickles: Portuguese snack to eat with chopsticks
2. Danish Pickle Toast
Ingredients for 4 people. 1 red onion, 30 ml of sherry vinegar, 10 g of salted butter, 8 slices of German-style black bread, 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 boiled beets, 16 radishes, 4 boiled eggs, 16 pickles in vinegar, arugula or dill, sa, and black pepper.
Elaboration. Mix the sliced red onion with the vinegar in a bowl and let marinate for 20 minutes. Spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread and a layer of mayonnaise on top. Place the sliced cooked beet, the radishes also cut, the hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, the pickled onion and a few cubes of pickled cucumber. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh dill and a few arugula leaves.
Full recipe | Danish Pickle Open Sandwich
3. Eggplant dip with yogurt and pickles
Ingredients for 4 people. 1 large aubergine, 2 medium pickles, 1 peeled clove of garlic, 60 ml of thick natural yogurt, lemon zest, coriander or parsley, black pepper, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Elaboration. Preheat the oven to 220º C. Cut the aubergine in two and make diamond-shaped cuts. Spread with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and bake upside down for about 18-20 minutes. Alternatively, cook in the microwave. Drain the pickles and finely chop one of them. Grate the garlic clove, wash and dry a handful of fresh coriander or parsley and chop well. Remove the meat from the aubergine with a large spoon and coarsely chop on the kitchen board. Incorporate everything in a bowl or source, add the lemon zest and yogurt, and mix. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the other chopped pickle, cilantro or parsley and a good splash of olive oil.
Full recipe | Eggplant appetizer with yogurt and pickles: healthy dip recipe
4. Eggs stuffed with pickles
Ingredients for 4 people. 4 eggs, 50 plain Greek yogurt, 5 ml Dijon mustard, 10 capers, 2 pickled cucumbers, fine flake salt, black pepper, chopped chives.
Elaboration. We cook the eggs 11-12 minutes. Remove to a container with ice water and after a few minutes, peel. Cut the eggs in half, lengthwise, and remove the yolks. We crush them with an arm blender together with the yogurt, the mustard, the chopped pickles and the capers. Put the mixture in a pastry bag. If we are not going to serve the eggs at the moment, we keep the mixture of the filling and the egg whites in the fridge. At the last moment we fill and sprinkle each piece with salt flakes, black pepper and chopped fresh chives.
Full recipe | Eggs deviled with pickles: the lighter version of the great classic
5. Salmon pâté terrine and pickled cucumbers
Ingredients for 4 people. 250 g of clean fresh salmon loin, 200 ml of liquid cooking cream, 1 small onion, pickled gherkins, salt and pepper.
Elaboration. Cook the salmon in a pot with boiling water and a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes. Once it has cooked, let it cool, remove the skin and crumble it. Peel and chop the onion; We also chop eight or nine pickles. Put the onion and pickles in a blender glass together with the salmon, the 200 ml of liquid cooking cream and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth with no lumps. If we want it to have a terrine presentation, we must cook it in a bain-marie in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 30 minutes. You can do it in a glass container, although for better unmolding, better silicone. We have to let it cool down a bit, we keep it in the fridge and we have it ready to serve with pickle slices.
Full recipe | Salmon pâté and pickled cucumbers
6. Classic Gilda
Ingredients for 2 people. 6 piparras in vinegar, 6 anchovies, 12 green olives with or without stones, extra virgin olive oil.
Elaboration. Drain the piparras and cut the tail or leave as is. Cut each unit into two pieces or leave whole. Also drain the anchovy fillets and wipe off a little of the oil from the preserve. Assemble each skewer starting with a pitted green olive -it can be stuffed or not-. Continue with a portion of piparra and then thread the anchovy folded on itself. Re-introduce a piparra half and finish with another olive. Continue until the skewers are finished and dress to taste with a good extra virgin olive oil.
Full recipe | Classic Gilda: recipe for the most famous skewer in the Basque Country
Lékué Kit of Utensils to Prepare Homemade Pickles with 700 ml Capacity Container, Green, Unique
7. Tomato tartare with assorted pickles
Ingredients. 2 medium tomatoes, better ripe, 1/2 spring onion, assorted pickles (gherkins, banderillas, capers…), salt, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Elaboration. Peel the tomatoes and chop them as finely as possible, without crushing them. We drain the water they release and reserve. We also chop the spring onion and a selection of assorted pickles. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with a little salt, a splash of oil, apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and another of Worcestershire sauce. Let it macerate for at least an hour and proceed to serve using a serving plate. Top off with a few more lightly chopped pickles and add a bit of mustard to the plate.
Full recipe | Tomato tartare with assorted pickles
In DAP | From Vallecas to the world, this is the story of the Bombas, Lagartos y Cohetes gourmet pickle (which is now planted in your home)
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