Serving Suggestion

Last night, I messed around with some Smokra. This is, as of 2006, America's Most Exciting Pickle. The smoky flavor from the paprika is almost uncanny, and there is none of the slipperyness that can  be an okra downside. Okra lovers and non okra lovers will stand shoulder to shoulder in their approbation of this pickle. FloFab got her hands on a jar and opines thus:

Smokra, okra with smoked paprika, is the latest in Rick Field’s line of artisanal pickles. Mr. Field has sold his Rick’s Picks, which are made in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the past two years in Greenmarkets (Union Square on Wednesdays) and online at rickspicksnyc.com. Smokra, in a ruddy brine, delivers heat that begs for barbecue or a grilled cheese sandwich. Smokra costs $10.99 for a 15-ounce jar and $12.99 online. The other pickles cost $8 or $10.99 online.

With a limited supply, I wanted to explore that smoky flavor, and stretch my stash. Particularly, I thought it would be fun to have a dish where the smoke came from the garnish, rather than the meat, thus above, a bi bim bomination -- a grilled pork chop sliced up over rice, with some arugula, chili-braised cabbage and sauteed oyster mushroms, garnished with chopped smokra. (As you might have guessed, this meal devolved into a what's in the fridge improvisation.)  Nevertheless, the flashes of smokra, and the aioli spiked with the brine, elevated a utility meal to something of an occasion.

With a bit more preparation, one could do more with Smokra as an ingredient. In particular, I'm interested to see what happens if you toss the onion and use a Smokra in a dirty Gibson.