Food & Drink
Swe-DISHES: Pickled Watermelon
Today, we have the perfect addition to a charcuterie board or Sunday roast or something to simply enjoy by itself.
Texas-based Swedish chef Jan Loov shares his recipe for a culinary staple: pickled watermelon.
“This is one of my absolute favorite recipes that I make, and no matter where I work, it will always be on the menu somewhere, somehow,” Loov said.
Ingredients
- 1½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- Rind from one watermelon
Instructions
- Cut away all the green and any remnants of watermelon flesh to leave only the white part of the rind remaining. Cut it into strips about the length and size of your little finger.
- Bring 4 cups of water and 1 cup of salt to a boil.
- In another pot, bring the cider vinegar, sugar, remaining water and mustard seeds to a boil.
- Blanche the watermelon rinds in the salted water for about a minute, and then move the rinds from boiling saltwater to the boiling vinegar solution, and immediately turn off the heat.
- Let the rinds cool in the vinegar liquid ensuring everything is submerged – place parchment paper on top, if needed.
- Once cool, place in jars and make sure the rinds are completely submerged.
- Store in your fridge for up to two weeks.
Chef Jan Loov is the Chef de Cuisine at the Omni Dallas Hotel’s Texas Spice restaurant. He hails from Sweden, where he attended the Troisiemme Anne’ Culinary School in Linköping. Previously, Chef Loov lived and worked all over the world at various restaurants and hotels before his travels brought him to Boston, where his true passion for sustainable seafood was brought to life while working at Turner Fisheries at the Westin Copley Place. From there, he moved to Dallas and worked at a few smaller venues until the opportunity to work at the Omni Dallas Hotel arose. He assumed the role of Chef d’ Cuisine of Texas Spice in July of 2014. Working at Texas Spice has given him the opportunity to work and share with fellow chefs and culinary experts. This drives him to use the freshest, most sustainable products available, all the while thoroughly enjoying life to its fullest.
