Cornichons refers to small, tart, pickled cucumbers or gherkins. They’re usually about finger size in length and about the size of a child’s finger in width. They may be sold as cornichons in both France and in English speaking countries, though some may just refer to them as small gherkins.

These delicious little pickles are excellent to serve as part of hors d’ouevres, on vegetable plates, or with other pickled vegetables. Since they’re typically finger food, they are great for any buffet setting, and their tart flavor, which permeates through these small gherkins, is excellent when contrasted with sharp or mild cheese. They also go very well with a selection of mixed olives.

In France, cornichons may be served in several ways. They sometimes accompany or they might make up a side dish next to smoked ham. They’ll go equally well with most smoked or salted meats from any country, and are particularly good with the many Italian meats like prosciutto. Another popular recipe, similar to the British fish and chips is cornichons and goujons, which is essentially small pieces of white fish like sole or cod that are deep-fried and dipped in tartar sauce that contains the gherkins. The addition of vinegar to fried fish is similar to the way fish and chips are served in the UK, and in many pubs around the world that love UK pub grub.

One classic French and Swiss dish that makes use of cornichons is raclette. This is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese that is often heated in a small iron. The warm gooey cheese is then placed on plates and may be accompanied with baked potatoes, pickled onions, smoked meats and cornichons. You’ll find your own uses for these baby pickles. Dice them up and add them to dressings, or slice them and place them on sandwiches. Their applications in cooking and their tart flavor make them tremendously appealing.

You can make your own cornichons at home, and recipes are not difficult to find, nor are the pickles difficult to prepare, as long as you can find baby gherkins. Parigno cornichon pickling cucumbers are a good variety to choose. After rinsing the cucumbers and drying them lightly, place them in a sterilized jar. Add pearl onions, a hot pepper if you choose, some peppercorns, tarragon and salt. Top the ingredients with white wine vinegar and place the jar in the fridge. In about a week you’ll have perfect cornichons, and provided you have sterilized your pickle jars first, they’ll keep for a couple of months in the refrigerator.