Cornichons

Ingredients

Gherkins

• 1 kgtiny gherkins, no longer than a finger
• 60 gcoarse salt

Pickle

• 700 mlwhite wine vinegar
• 2 tspblack peppercorns
• 2 tspcoriander seed
• 4cloves
• 3bay leaves
• 1 bunchtarragon
• 12silverskin onions, peeled
• 4 clovesgarlic

Directions

1. Rub the gherkins with a rough cloth to remove the tiny prickles, then trim a sliver off the blossom end of each. That end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar and is the usual cause of limp cornichons.
2. Toss with the salt in a bowl and leave overnight at room temperature. They will give up a good deal of water, which is what keeps them crisp and stops the vinegar being diluted.
3. The next day rinse them briefly and dry each one thoroughly with a cloth. Drying properly matters more here than it sounds.
4. Pack them into sterilised jars with the onions, garlic, tarragon, peppercorns, coriander, cloves and bay.
5. Bring the vinegar to a boil and pour it over boiling hot so everything is covered, then seal at once.
6. Leave four weeks before opening. They are sharp and harsh before that and mellow considerably with time.
7. Serve with pâté, rillettes, raclette and cold meats. They keep a year unopened; refrigerate once opened.

Technique

• Pure vinegar, no water. Cornichons are meant to be fiercely sharp, and diluting the vinegar gives a softer pickle that also keeps less well.
• Trim the blossom end and dry them properly. Those two small steps decide the texture.
• Pick them small. A cornichon is a variety and a size — a full-grown gherkin pickled the same way is simply a gherkin.

Substitutions

• Cider vinegar for wine vinegar, which is rounder and less aggressive.
• Dill in place of tarragon, though tarragon is what makes them French.

Variations

• A sweeter version adds sugar to the vinegar, closer to a German gewürzgurke.
• Some producers blanch the gherkins briefly rather than salting them overnight.

History

The standard French pickle for charcuterie boards, set apart from other gherkins by their size and tarragon.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cornichons?

Cornichons is a fermented & pickled from France: tiny gherkins in vinegar with tarragon, served with pâté and raclette. The standard French pickle for charcuterie boards, set apart from other gherkins by their size and tarragon.

How long does Cornichons take to make?

Cornichons takes 40 min plus overnight salting and 4 weeks of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills 2 × 500 ml jars. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Cornichons?

Yes, within limits. Cider vinegar for wine vinegar, which is rounder and less aggressive. Dill in place of tarragon, though tarragon is what makes them French.

What is the most important thing to get right in Cornichons?

Rub the gherkins with a rough cloth to remove the tiny prickles, then trim a sliver off the blossom end of each. That end carries an enzyme that softens the whole jar and is the usual cause of limp cornichons.