Lime-pickled red onions

These are unbelievably quick and easy and keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Credit: Quadrille / Mowie Key

• makes

  1

• prep

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 100 ml lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• A few cracked peppercorns
• Freshly chopped herbs, such as coriander (cilantro) or parsley, to serve
• 1 tsp sumac, to serve

Standing time: 30 minutes

Instructions

Put the onions in a bowl and pour over freshly boiled water to cover. Leave to stand for 20 seconds, then drain.

In a small bowl, mix the lime juice with the salt. Pour over the onions, add the peppercorns and stir to combine. If serving straight away, leave to stand for at least 30 minutes. Otherwise, transfer to a sterilized jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.

To serve, add the fresh herbs (choose whichever matches the dish you are serving it with) and a sprinkling of sumac.

Note

• I particularly like these with my Marinated chicken with charred limes, saffron butter and soft flatbreads.

Recipe from Citrus by Catherine Phipps, photography by Mowie Key (Quadrille, hb, $39.99). Read Catherine's guide to savoury citrus preserves here. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.