If there’s anything that makes the thrifty cook happy, it’s a recipe to prepare some foodstuff that he didn’t realize was edible, or some scrap that she was previously inclined to throw away.
Professional chefs, especially chefs who have a financial stake in their restaurants, are all about finding a use for every last scrap. Some French chefs use onion skins to give a richer color to their stocks. Mario Batali, a thrifty chef known for using “garbage” cuts of meat like head, heart and coxcomb, also loves to cook with celery leaves, which many chefs throw away because of their slight bitterness. In the kitchen at Olivea, my cooks will save the previously discarded tops from turnips and beets, knowing that they are even more delicious than the vegetables themselves. I’ve even been to a restaurant that served a carrot- top pesto (don’t bother).
Until recently, I’d never tried cooking or eating watermelon rind. Since we have a watermelon, cucumber and tomato salad at Olivea, we always have watermelon rind left over, which got me thinking about a good recipe for pickled watermelon rind.
Pickled watermelon rind is of course a favorite condiment in Southern cooking; even though I’m from a state — Maryland — that’s below the Mason-Dixon line, we don’t eat a lot of pickled watermelon rind there. Since I had no idea what the traditional product was supposed to taste like, I created this vaguely Middle Eastern pickle with honey, saffron, orange peel, anise and coriander.
It’s great with pork, and if the idea of using expensive saffron threads offends your idea of a thrifty dish, feel free to substitute turmeric.
John Broening cooks at Duo and Olivea restaurants in Denver.
Pickled Watermelon Rind
Makes about 2 quarts
Ingredients
Rind from 1 small watermelon, green part removed
For the pickling liquid:
2 cups distilled vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
3 star anise or 1 teaspoon anise seed or fennel
1 teaspoon coriander seed
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 strips orange peel
Pinch chili flakes
Pinch saffron or 1 teaspoon turmeric
Directions
Cut the rind into matchsticks that are 2 inches long and 1/3 inch thick.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a bowl of ice water near it. Boil the rind for 6 minutes, then immerse it in the ice water.
Place all the ingredients for the pickling liquid in a 2-quart pot and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
Place the rind in a stainless bowl and pour the pickling liquid over it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
Store the rind in sealed plastic containers and refrigerate for up to one month or can the rind following proper canning procedures. Serve with any pork dish.
