Brian Wolff is the chef de cuisine and resident pickler at Lucques. Every time I turn around, he’s got something in the vinegar, like shell beans, cherries, or tiny onions. His pickled raisins are delicious and make a great last-minute condiment. Keep a jar in the refrigerator; if you have a terrine or leftover roast chicken or pork, these raisins make a wonderful sweet-and-sour topping.

　　

Ingredients

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

　　1 chile de árbol, crumbled

　　1 bay leaf

　　1/3 pound golden raisins

　　1 teaspoon thyme leaves

　　1-inch sprig rosemary

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　

Step 1

Place the mustard seeds in a small pan over medium heat, and toast a few minutes, shaking the pan often, until the seeds just start to pop.

　　

Step 2

Combine the mustard seeds with 1 cup water and the rest of the ingredients in a small nonaluminum pot. Bring to a boil, and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. Let the raisins cool, and store them in the liquid in the refrigerator.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)