Quick pickled onion

This quick and easy recipe of pickled onion will give a welcome crunch and an essential vinegar tang to your pizzas or charcuterie boards.

Credit: Benito Martin

• makes

  1/2 cup

• prep

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion
• 2 tsp river salt
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 40 ml red wine vinegar

Standing time 2 hours

Instructions

Cut the top and bottom off your onion, cut in half lengthways and peel. Using a very sharp knife, slice your onion very finely into slices along the grain.

Place your sliced onion in a bowl and, with your hands, massage in the salt and sugar, cover with glad wrap and set aside for at least two hours.

When you’re ready, go back to your onions and you’ll see that they’ve collapsed a little and released some liquid. Using your hands again, squeeze the sliced onions to get out the last of their juices and place in another bowl. Mix in the vinegar.

They are ready to be used straight away but they too can be kept in the fridge for about a week.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by ​Trish Heagarty.

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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.