Hot Days Call for Frozen Pickles
Years ago, I dined at the now-defunct New York City restaurant Mission Chinese, which was beset by labor issues and various scandals, the smallest (and least significant) of which was their ” Szechuan Ice Cucumbers .” seasoned crushed ice. I, along with two other dinner neighbors, ordered pickles without knowing exactly what they were.
I don’t know what exactly we were expecting, but it was not the bowl of sharp ice that we got. We were disappointed, especially as a cold, salty, and spicy pickle can be incredibly delicious, especially on a hot summer evening or fragrant afternoon. I may not have liked iced water pickles, but I’m obsessed with iced vegetable pickles, especially cucumbers.
Glazed pickles like oysters may seem over the top, but imagine eating cool, room temperature or lukewarm pickles in the hot sun. Personally, this is unpleasant for me. (However, a fried marinade is a different story.) An icy cold marinade is refreshing and even invigorating. It cools and cleans the palate, offering a welcome respite from smoked meats and hot dogs while replenishing your electrolytes.
Even when it’s not hot outside, a small plate of chilled pickles along with charcuterie or cheese feels luxurious and thoughtful. Refrigeration makes pickles an even more attractive addition to meat and dairy dishes; while room temperature pickles function as a culinary comma, iced pickles are more of an exclamation mark. (Bonus: if your pickles are already chilled, you can add them to cold beer without heating the beer.)
Only the best ice for your pickles:
- Break Your Cubes: KitchenAid Gourmet Meat Tenderizer
- Freeze a Few Tiny Cubes: DZHJKIO Mini Ice Cube Trays
- Invest in a “Good Ice Maker”: GE Profile Opal 2.0 Nugget Benchtop Ice Maker
Cooking cucumbers with ice is easy. All you have to do is put the cucumbers on ice. Crushed and granular ice works best, but if all you have are “regular” cubes, put them in a freezer bag, wrap the bag in a towel, and hit the bag with something heavy, like a metal soup ladle or kitchen hammer. . Pour the crushed ice into a bowl and put the cucumbers in it. Serve alongside grilled meats, a sausage board, or, if you’re a real pickle lover, on their own.