Pickled Eggs and Beets

End of June, heat so thick you swim through it. Made cold fried chicken on purpose — cooked in the morning while the kitchen was cool, refrigerated, eaten cold for supper with Connie's potato salad and farmer's market tomatoes. Cold fried chicken is a summer tradition Betty perfected: fry Saturday morning, serve Sunday after church, cold, on a platter with deviled eggs and pickles. Better cold than hot because the flavors settle and the skin firms up.

Clay's doing good at the store. Two weeks in, learning inventory, talking to customers. The manager says he's reliable — not a word that always described Clay but the word that describes him now, and reliable is the most beautiful word in the English language when applied to your son who was in a garage with a rifle three and a half years ago.

Drove to Evarts. Betty was gardening — eighty-three next month, on her knees pulling weeds from the bean row by touch. I knelt beside her and we weeded together and she told me about the neighbor whose son got out of prison and how the church is raising money for a new roof. She talks to me the way she talks to the garden — steadily, practically, with the understanding that my listening is a kind of tending.

Betty’s cold platter has never been just fried chicken — it’s always included something sharp and jewel-colored to cut through the richness, and pickled eggs and beets have been that thing for as long as I can remember. When I got home from Evarts with garden dirt still on my knees and Clay’s good news still warm in my chest, I wanted to put together that same platter myself — the one that means summer is going right, that the people you love are tending their rows and showing up. Pickled eggs take patience and a little forethought, which felt exactly right for the week.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes plus 48 hours chilling | Servings: 12

Ingredients

12 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
2 cans (15 oz each) sliced beets, liquid reserved
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced into rings

Instructions

Hard-boil the eggs. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand 12 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath, cool completely, then peel.
Make the brine. In a medium saucepan combine the reserved beet liquid, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, cloves, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Layer the jar. In a large glass jar or airtight container, layer the sliced beets, onion rings, and peeled eggs, alternating as you go so the eggs are surrounded by beets on all sides.
Pour the brine. Pour the warm brine over the eggs and beets, making sure everything is submerged. Press beets down gently around the eggs. Seal the jar.
Refrigerate. Chill for at least 48 hours before serving — 3 to 4 days is even better. The eggs will turn a deep ruby color throughout. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serve. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and arrange on a platter alongside cold fried chicken, potato salad, and sliced tomatoes. Spoon beets and onions alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pickled Eggs and Beets — The Cold Platter Betty Always Knew