In a Pickle
If you like pickles you’ll love these two dishes. If you don’t, well…not so much.
Over the past couple of months, I have encountered numerous recipes that make use of pickle juice. You know, the brine that is tossed with each pickle jar emptied of spears, slices or chips. Prior to this I had never thought much about pickle juice but my interest was piqued. I figured that by using the brine I’d be making something out of nothing and reducing waste. Attractive prospects but the truth is that I love pickles and the thought of cooking with that tart, garlic-laced juice had my mouth watering.
This first recipe for Pickle Chicken cannot even be considered a “recipe” because all I am going to tell you to do is pound a couple of chicken breasts to a uniform thickness (mine were about 3/4″ thick) and place them in a large Ziplock bag with the juice from one jar of pickles. Let marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours–I marinated mine for about 8 hours. Your chicken may turn a little white in spots, as mine did, due to the acidity from the pickle juice but have no fear. After being removed from the brine and cooked on the grill pan for about 5 minutes per side, the resulting chicken was as juicy and tender as can be. I will warn you that the pickle flavor is not subtle but absolutely delightful if that’s a taste that you crave.
Pickle Chicken
The second recipe is only ever so slightly more of a “recipe.” This Dill Pickle Dip couldn’t be easier and is a real crowd pleaser. As a matter of fact, after making it for the first time I was kicking myself wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?” But I didn’t and am grateful to have stumbled upon the following recipe on Jam Hands via Pinterest.
So toss your pickle juice no more. Save that salty brine and make these delicious recipes which are only the beginning of my personal pickle exploration. If you have any pickle juice recipes of your own, please share!
Dill Pickle Dip
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 4 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 1/2 cups finely diced kosher dill pickles, plus 2 Tbls diced pickles for garnish
- A bag of potato chips
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine cream cheese, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add the pickle juice gradually to get the mixture to dipping consistency.
- By hand, mix in the diced pickles.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve chilled alongside your favorite potato chips.