I like all sorts of salt-cured things: salmon, lemons, capers, olives, and oranges. There is something about salt that pulls out the essence of whatever it's mixed with -- kind like a good editor when you're a first-time cookbook author and you tend towards wordy manifestos! Anyway, I decided to see what salt would bring forth from a pile of hot peppers and I wasn't disappointed. These peppers are still relatively crunchy and add a nice salty heat to anything you think needs a little oomph. Unless you're seriously deficient in sodium, I'd give them a quick rinse before you eat them -- salt, while good at highlighting flavors, can stage a hostile takeover of your meal if you aren't careful!
Salt Cured Pepper with Lime and Cilantro
1 pound hot peppers with seeds, washed and sliced
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, rough chopped
1 lime, zested
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Place in a 1-quart canning jar and cover. Give it a couple good shakes to make sure everything is evenly distributed and then set in a cool and dark place in your kitchen for a week, shaking every day. The salt will pull a lot of the moisture out of the peppers and you'll a salty, peppery 'brine' -- this is a good thing. At the end of the week, place in the refrigerator and use within 6 months.
