Bread and Butter Pickles

Early June. Heat arriving. The smoker compound back on dawn rotation. Tyler and Jessica have been talking about another visit in late June for Bobby's 52nd birthday — the first birthday since retirement, which is a non-event but which Lily has decided will be marked anyway. I told Lily no big party. Lily said, "Smaller than last year. Family only." That is the negotiated peace. I will accept family-only. Mai will be there. That is enough.

The cookbook editor Vy flew in from New York Wednesday for a working session at the restaurant. We met — Lily, James, Vy, me — at the dining room table after lunch service. Three hours of conversation about structure: how the book will be organized (chronologically by Bobby's life and the food at each stage, then transitioning into James and Lily's era), what the photography style will be (warm, natural, no food-styled food), what the recipe headnotes will sound like (Bobby's voice for the family ones, James's for the techniques, Lily's for the business and the dining room). Vy was excellent. Vy understood. Vy had also, it turns out, lost her own grandmother during COVID and had not been able to get to Vietnam to bury her. The conversation got quiet for a moment. Vy said, "This book matters to me too." That was important to hear. The book is in the right hands.

Made bún chả Hà Nội Sunday — the Hanoi grilled pork over rice noodles, with the small-format dipping bowl of warm fish sauce broth with pickled green papaya. The dish Aunt Huong taught Mai in 2024. The dish that has become Sunday tradition every six weeks or so. Mai came over. She tasted it. She said, "Closer." Closer to Huong's. Always closer. Never there. The chase is the food. The chase is the practice. The dish I am still learning at fifty-one will be the dish I am still learning at eighty-one. Some recipes are not meant to be mastered. They are meant to be approached.

The pickled green papaya in Aunt Huong’s bún chà has always been the quiet part of the dish — the thing that cuts through the char and the fish sauce and resets the palate for the next bite. After Sunday’s session with Mai, I kept thinking about that pickling discipline: the salt, the time, the patience of letting something transform. I’ve been making bread and butter pickles the same way for years, and the same rule applies — you can follow the recipe exactly and still learn something new every single time you open a jar.

Prep Time: 30 min + 1 hr standing | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 1 hr 40 min | Servings: 32 (makes about 4 half-pint jars)

Ingredients

2 lbs cucumbers (about 6 cups), sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pickling salt (or kosher salt)
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups ice cubes

Instructions

Salt the cucumbers. Combine sliced cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with pickling salt, toss to coat, then spread the ice cubes over the top. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to draw out excess moisture and keep the cucumbers crisp.
Rinse and drain. Drain the cucumbers and onion into a colander. Rinse well under cold running water to remove the salt, then drain thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
Make the brine. In a medium saucepan, combine white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.
Add the vegetables. Add the drained cucumbers and onion to the saucepan. Stir to combine and return just to the edge of a boil — about 1 minute. Do not let them cook through; you want them to stay firm.
Jar and seal. Using a slotted spoon, pack the cucumber mixture tightly into sterilized half-pint jars. Ladle hot brine over the top, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims clean, apply lids and bands finger-tight.
Process or refrigerate. For shelf-stable pickles, process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. For refrigerator pickles, skip the water bath, let jars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Refrigerator pickles are ready in 24 hours and keep for up to 6 weeks. Canned pickles are shelf-stable for up to 1 year.

Nutrition (per serving)

Bread and Butter Pickles — The Practice of Patience in a Jar