Pickled onions are the magic fix-it condiment in my refrigerator. You could serve me the worst dish ever, and if it had a few pickled onions on top, I’d probably say, “Hmm. Not bad.” Of course, that means that they can also take something that’s already delicious and make it spectacular. They’re a traditional partner with pibils, the banana leaf–wrapped, pit-cooked meats of the Yucatan. I particularly like them on tacos (see Cochinita Pibil Tacos with Habanero Salsa, page 95, and Tacos de Huevos, page 87), where they give an extra crunch and hit of acidity. I’ve made them all sorts of ways over the years—combining the onions with lime juice, salt, and cumin; blanching the onions first, then tossing in vinegar and Tabasco—but it wasn’t until my delightful friend Patricia Jinich turned me on to her method that I made it mine, too. Pati, who blogs at patismexicantable. com, experimented endlessly (well, sixteen batches) to find the right combination that would substitute for Yucatecan bitter orange juice before she settled on this one. It was worth it, but if you can find bitter orange (labeled naranja agria in Latin stores), use it instead of the juice/vinegar combination here.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

　　1 banana chile or jalapeno chile

　　1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

　　1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

　　1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

　　1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

　　1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt, or more to taste

　　1 large red onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

　　2 bay leaves

　　

Step 1

Char the chile by holding it with tongs directly over the open flame of a gas burner, turning a few times, until the skin is lightly charred, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can do this under the broiler.) Slash open the chile.

　　

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the citrus juices with the vinegar, black pepper, allspice, and salt, and mix well. Add the red onion slices, bay leaves, and chile and toss to combine.

　　

Step 3

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Transfer to a large glass jar, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.