Chiles en Escabeche

Ingredients

• 8jalapeñorinsed, stemmed, sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick
• 2carrotspeeled, sliced into rounds
• 1onionwhite, cut into thin slices or half-moons
• 4 clovesgarlicpeeled, roughly chopped or smashed
• 1½ cupsVinegarfor the brine
• 1 cupwaterfor the brine
• 1 tbspsaltkosher or sea salt
• ½ tspOreganodried
• ½ tspcuminoptionally crushed in a mortar; ground cumin also works
• ½ tspblack pepperwhole or freshly ground
• 1 tbspolive oilfor sautéing
• 1bay leafadded to the brine (optional)
• 1 tspsugaradded to the brine to soften the acidity (optional)
• 4Habanero chillithinly sliced, handle with gloves; for extra heat (optional)
• 3tomatilloshusked, rinsed, quartered (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the jalapeños, remove the stems and slice them into rounds about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Peel the carrots and slice them into rounds of the same thickness so everything cooks evenly.
2. Cut the white onion into thin slices or half-moons. Peel the garlic and either chop it roughly or smash it with the flat of your knife.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until they soften.
4. Add the cumin seeds, Mexican oregano and black peppercorns (crush them briefly in a mortar first if you like) and toast them for a moment until fragrant.
5. Add the jalapeños and carrots to the pot and sauté them briefly.
6. Pour in the distilled white vinegar, water and salt, plus the bay leaf and sugar if you're using them. Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer until the jalapeños lose their bright color and turn olive green.
7. Remove the bay leaf if used. Pack the vegetables into clean jars and cover them with the brine all the way to the top.
8. Let the jars cool on the counter, then seal them and let them sit in the fridge overnight. Kept there, the chiles will last for several weeks.

Tips and variations

If you like serious heat, slice a few habaneros thinly and add them too, and wear gloves while you do it. For a small batch, swap the jalapeños for serranos and leave out the carrots; quartered tomatillos also feel right at home in the jar. Instead of simmering everything together, you can bring the brine to a boil in a separate pot and pour it hot over the sautéed vegetables, or take the pot off the heat as soon as it comes to its first boil. There's also a version without cumin that uses bay leaf and sugar instead: sauté the vegetables for 10 minutes, then simmer them in the brine for 10 minutes. Serve them taquería-style, as a side.