Quick Pickled Garlic With Mediterranean Flavors

Total Time: 13 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon other coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small hot chili pepper, of your choice,slit up the side (or more)
• 1 cup garlic, cloves peeled (2 to 3 heads)
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon thyme or 1 tablespoon rosemary (or a combination thereof)

Recipe

• 1 in a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, sherry, salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, and chile, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the salt.
• 2 reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and simmer for 30 seconds or so.
• 3 remove from the heat and add the fresh herb.
• 4 allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered, and then pour into a jar with a nonreactive lid.
• 5 cover tightly and let stand at room temperature for at least a day before sampling one of the smaller cloves.
• 6 the flavor will improve steadily over the first few days, as the liquid penetrates the garlic.
• 7 this pickle will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 months or more.