Get yourself in a pickle with this fantasic recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 medium red onion, cut into thin half-moon slices
- 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed
- 1 bunch small radishes, trimmed
- 1 red or yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into strips (keep feathery tops)
- 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 250ml cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2-3 small red chillies, halved
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 garlic cloves, halved
Method
- 1. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 5cm batons or thin half-moon slices and place in a colander. Toss with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and leave for 30 minutes to remove some moisture. Rinse and drain.
- 2. Meanwhile, separate the onion into layers. Cut the baby carrots into halves or quarters depending on how thick they are. Slice or halve the radishes. Toss all the vegetables, apart from the cucumber, in a large china or glass bowl. Cover with boiling water, drain immediately and refresh under cold running water. Drain thoroughly, then return to the bowl and add the cucumber and any fennel tops, chopped.
- 3. Place the mustard, coriander and fennel seeds in a medium stainless steel pan over a low heat and warm until the mustard seeds start to ‘pop’. Add the vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, chilli, bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Simmer for a few minutes. Pour the hot vinegar over the vegetables and allow to cool, tossing to mix from time to time.
- 4. Arrange the veg and herbs in a large, scrupulously clean jar. Taste the vinegar for sweetness and add a little more sugar to taste, then pour back over the veg, making sure they are covered. Seal. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Chef's tip
You may eat this after a few hours, but it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. As it stands, the vegetables will lose a little colour and crispness while the flavour will deepen and mellow. Vary the veg as you want, but always include some red onion for the glorious pink colour it takes on. Serve as part of an antipasti or with something like the Potted ham with mustard (see recipe).