Chef Min Yo-han’s Delicious Pickled Onions
Top Cooking Secrets | Healthy and Sweet & Spicy Pickled Onion Recipe
Onions are a fantastic ingredient known for their detoxifying properties. The methionine and cystine compounds in onions help eliminate heavy metals from the body. Furthermore, their rich antioxidant content contributes to strong anti-cancer effects. The quercetin found in onions is particularly beneficial for preventing high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, making it excellent for cardiovascular health. Today, we’ll be making delicious pickled onions using a recipe from Chef Min Yo-han, featured on ‘Top Cooking Secrets’. This dish is a perfect side that tantalizes your taste buds with its sweet, sour, and slightly spicy flavor while promoting good health.
Main Ingredients
- 700g Onions (approx. 2 medium, 1 small)
- 1/2 cup (100ml) Water
- 1/2 cup (100ml) Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup (100ml) Vinegar
- 2/3 cup (130g) Sugar
- 4 Tbsp (60ml) Plum Extract (Maesil Cheong)
- 1 Tbsp (7g) Pickling Spices
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare 700g of onions. While using 2 medium and 1 small onion will yield about 700g, it’s more important to match the total weight regardless of individual onion sizes.
Step 2
Slice the prepared onions into bite-sized pieces. Cutting them slightly thicker will help maintain a pleasant crunch.
Step 3
Measure out the ingredients for the pickling brine. Using a standard paper cup as a guide, prepare 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons plum extract, and 1 tablespoon pickling spices.
Step 4
In a pot, combine the water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, plum extract, and pickling spices. Heat over medium heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately turn off the heat. ‘Bringing to a boil’ refers to boiling briefly until it just starts to bubble up. Avoid prolonged boiling, as it can alter the flavor. Your delicious brine is now ready!
Step 5
Prepare a heat-resistant glass airtight container or jar. Arrange the sliced onions neatly inside. It’s crucial to use heat-resistant glass, as plastic containers can release harmful chemicals when in contact with hot liquids.
Step 6
Carefully pour the hot pickling brine directly over the onions in the heat-resistant glass container. Ensure the onions are fully submerged in the brine.
Step 7
Initially, the onions might not appear fully submerged, but as they sit, they will release their own moisture, increasing the volume of the brine. Allow the pickled onions to marinate at room temperature for about 3 hours. This step ensures the flavors penetrate evenly into the onions.
Step 8
The left photo shows the onions after 3 hours of room temperature marination, and the right photo shows them after being refrigerated overnight. Notice how the color has deepened significantly! The left image is after 3 hours at room temp, and the right is after an overnight stay in the fridge. The color difference is quite striking.
Step 9
Your healthy and delicious ‘Top Cooking Secrets’ pickled onions are ready! Their crisp texture and perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavor make them an exceptional side dish for any meal.
