SANTA ANA, Calif. — I'd never tasted a more scrumptious duck breast: caramelized and crisp on the outside, pink and juicy within. A mound of deep-red rice rested to one side.

But it was the pickled cherries at California Napa Valley's Bouchon restaurant that made that duck sing.

The dish illustrated a principle that chefs understand well: a touch of something tart or tangy can float a rich or heavy dish into the stratosphere. And fresh pickles — quickly and easily made and stored in the refrigerator for use within a few days — offer a nice flavor balance, crunchy texture and, because fruits are often used, may even lend a touch of sweetness to anything from gourmet pate to a big hunk of hamburger.

At Bouchon, superstar chef Thomas Keller's chic Parisian-style bistro served pickled cherries with the duck as a special that warm night last summer.

Most often Bouchon's duck breasts are served with Picholine olives, small green orbs that give the dish a perky accent. But to my palate's delight, that night it was sweet-sour cherries that were added higgledy-piggledy over the meat and rice. The server told me that for several weeks the kitchen had been pickling everything that wasn't nailed down.

Mmmm, the marriage of vinegar, sugar and summer produce. I vowed to create a pickling kitchen at home. It took me almost a year to get my act together, but not long ago, I called Jeffrey Cerciello, Bouchon's talented executive chef and co-author of "Bouchon," (Artisan, $50). I wanted pickling advice.

Cerciello grew up in Laguna Hills, Calif., and has cooked with Keller for more than 10 years, first at French Laundry, then since 1998 as executive chef at Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery (now in Las Vegas as well as the Napa Valley).

"We do quite a bit (of pickling), and serve it most often with charcuterie, such as pates," he said. "The whole idea is to cleanse and refresh the palate. We're dealing with fat on the tongue, and the pickled cherries, for example, clean the palate. Both the duck and the red rice — which is from the South of France — are very rich."

Yes, vinegar and sugar team up to create bright, refreshing bites amid the richness. And the possibilities for fruits and vegetables seem endless.

"Other pickled items that I like?" he responded. "Oh, you name it: carrots to cauliflower, artichokes to cipollini (small Italian flat onions), what's in the market that's fresh, like mushrooms, little chanterelles.

"I love them with the pates that our team has been doing, country pates made with veal or rabbit. And with salami; we're very lucky to have artisans across the country, like Salumi in Seattle (Mario Batali's father's shop) that's making great salami. And some of the cooks here are curing prosciutto."

Salty and rich teamed with sweet and sour.

Cerciello said you want to look for balance on the plate and that pickled produce can offer that balance. And the meaty elements can be as easy as well-seasoned cold roast beef or pork.

Or a burger or ham sandwich. Or a luscious slab of buttery cheese.

As I was doing my pickling in the heat of summer, it came as good news that the process needn't include the water-bath method to "can" the pickled treasures. Water baths require setting sealed jars in covered cauldrons of boiling water for a prescribed amount of time. It's hot, tiresome work.

"We do a quick pickling," he said. "Some dense vegetables will need to be quickly blanched first, like baby leeks or carrots. Bring the pickling mixture (generally vinegar, sugar and spices) to a boil (and dissolve sugar), then pour it over (the fruit or vegetables)."

A crunchy texture is part of the appeal, too. So he cautions cooks to cool down the pickling solution quickly after the hot brine is added. After the brine is added to the fruit and/or vegetables in the jar, put on the lid and refrigerate. Use care not to contaminate the pickling solution with your hands. Use a spoon for serving. No fingers allowed.

MAKING QUICK PICKLES