Grillo's Presents Pickled by Raphael Jacob Khutorsky – Hardback Cookbook

Grillo's Presents Pickled is a hardback cookbook from Boston's Grillo's Pickles and New York chef Raphael Jacob Khutorsky, with 100 recipes for making your own pickles and cooking with them, from devilled eggs to brine-soaked chicken and pickleback cocktails. It's bright, cheeky and photographed in full colour throughout.

Pickles off the side of the plate and into the spotlight

Grillo's started in 2008 as a hand-built wooden pickle cart in downtown Boston, selling fresh, cold dill pickles. This book takes that obsession and runs with it, treating the pickle as a main ingredient rather than a burger garnish, with Chef Raph bringing restaurant polish to every recipe.

What's inside

It kicks off with pickling at home, including a basic brine you can adapt with different vinegars and vegetables, plus canning tips. From there the pickle turns up everywhere: snack plates, sandwiches, mains and a drinks section that leans hard into pickle brine.

Look for Dilly Devilish Eggs with Rémoulade, Pickle-Brined Spatchcock Chicken, Tuna Melts loaded with chopped pickles, a pickle-topped flatbread, Pickled Watermelon Rinds, Jerk Pickled Pineapple and, for the brave, Grillo's Signature Martinis and a boozy Pickleback Slush.

Who it's for

Anyone who drinks the brine straight from the jar, plus barbecue cooks who want tangy, crunchy sides to cut through rich smoked meat. The recipes are simple and fun, so beginners are well covered, and the pickling basics are a handy skill for life.

About Grillo's Pickles & Chef Raph

Grillo's Pickles began in 2008 with a wooden pickle cart in downtown Boston and grew into a much-loved American pickle brand. Chef Raphael Jacob Khutorsky grew up in New Jersey learning Eastern European cooking from his grandmother, cooked at restaurants including Gramercy Tavern and Marea, and opened his first restaurant in New York's East Village in 2023.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

This one fell off the back of a pickle cart, and Darryl's not giving it back. It's a hundred ways to brine, cook and drink your pickles, and the Jerk Pickled Pineapple is the sneaky genius he never saw coming. Pick up a copy and your sides, sandwiches and martinis will never be boring again. Pair it with Pickled by Freddie Janssen for more jar craft and Salt Hank for sandwiches worth piling pickles onto, and keep Acide Dill Cucumber Chips on hand while your first brine does its thing. — Darryl "Three-Jars" Rubb

Questions answered

Who wrote Grillo's Presents Pickled?

It was written by Grillo's Pickles, the Boston pickle brand, with New York chef Raphael Jacob Khutorsky, known as Chef Raph.

How many recipes are in Grillo's Presents Pickled?

There are 100 recipes, from home brines and pickles to snacks, sandwiches, mains and pickle cocktails.

Does Grillo's Presents Pickled teach you to make pickles?

Yes. It includes a home pickling section with a basic brine you can adapt, plus canning tips.

Is Grillo's Presents Pickled a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 224-page hardback published by Abrams in 2024.

Is Grillo's Presents Pickled good for beginners?

Yes. The recipes are straightforward and fun, and the pickling basics are easy to pick up.