The realities of life after 40 are numerous: reading is impossible without either 4 foot long arms (which I don't have) or glasses (which I do have), a newly acquired relationship between anything chocolate and heartburn, 3 inch heels are a fond memory and now I can add hearing loss to the list. Joanne called earlier this week and left a message, 'hey, call me back, I have a question about fecal bags'. I consider myself an expert in a number of areas— wine, free thinking dogs, the right kind of salt and dinner parties but I'm a fish out of water when it comes to fecal bags.
So, when Joanne stopped over this morning, I had to ask her what on earth she was talking about— was it code for something, did she call me by accident, was she trying to be funny? She looked at me like I was the crazy one and said, 'pickled eggs, I have a question about pickled eggs'. Well, thank God— I know what to do with pickled eggs (kind of). You'd think with names like Duffy, Meroney, Hubbard and Kennedy in my family tree, I 'd be familiar with pickled eggs— a consummate Irish pub snack but until this week, I was among the uninitiated. No longer, pickling eggs is yet another culinary adventure I can check off my bucket list.
Joanne is having an Irish Whiskey tasting at her shop, Bayfield Wine and Spirits, tomorrow from 3:30 until 5:00. If you're around, stop in for a taste of my idea of a proper pickled egg and a quaff of Irish whiskey on a Saturday afternoon in March. Good Irish whiskey and pickled eggs— what a brilliant way to celebrate (a wee bit early) St. Patrick, the man who drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
Pickled Eggs(Adapted From saltandfat.com)
2 dozen eggs, washed
10 ounces apple cider vinegar
10 ounces balsamic vinegar
20 ounces water
6 ounces sherry
1 onion, quartered and sliced
8 garlic cloves, halved
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mixed peppercorns
1 tbsp salt
4 branches of rosemary
Bunch of fresh thyme
Preparation
Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer and add cold water to cover eggs by one inch. Heat over high heat until the water starts to boil. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand in the hot water for about 12 minutes (for large eggs), drain and place in an ice bath to cool completely.
In a large saucepan, heat the vinegars, sherry, water, salt and sugar to boiling and then reduce to a simmer. Divide the eggs, garlic, onions, herbs, mustard seeds and peppercorns among the canning jars, pour the brine into the jars, seal and place in the refrigerator. They are ready to eat a day after pickling if you like a lighter flavor or about a week if you like a stronger pickled flavor.
