GHERKIN KEYBOARD RECIPES

Steps:

• Make a brine with 1 part salt and 8 parts water, or 2 tablespoons of salt to each cup of water.  Soak the tiny cucumbers for a few hours or overnight.
• Drain the baby cucumbers and pack them into canning jars with spices.  I've used 5 peppercorns and 2 allspice berries to each quarter pint canning jar.
• Make a brine with 1 tbsp of canning salt to every cup of vinegar and bring to a boil.  Each quarter pint jar only needs a few tablespoons of brine, but extra brine can be saved for the next batch.
• Pour the brine over the pickles, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Seal with 2 part canning lids and store in the refrigerator or process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat, then add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
• Add the onions to the same pan, stirring to coat in the oil and scraping up any sticky bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and translucent.
• Add the white wine, bubble for 1 minute, then add the stock and the browned chicken thighs. Cover with the lid and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and gherkins, stir gently, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water – the stew should be juicy around the edges but not watery. It’s ready once the chicken has cooked through and the gherkins are soft in the middle but retain a slight crunch.
• Just before serving, stir in most of the dill, season to taste, then spoon into warmed bowls and sprinkle the remaining dill over the top. Serve with bread to soak up all the delicious juices.