Pickled

If I told you what I had for supper tonight, I'd have to kill you. Suffice to say that white rice and tinned sweetcorn made an appearance.

However, I did do a bit of 'real' cooking today. I've been having cravings for cauliflower pickles, the sort of salty sour version that doesn't really know if it's a salad or a relish but a search of the shops revealed that the French have no interest in this product, not even in the guise of mixed pickles for antipasto (Italian cooking? What's that?).

I avoided buying a fresh cauliflower on the basis I might never get around to preparing it but as I still had far too many carrots in the cooler decided to make a second best option of pickled carrot slices.



These are fine served as an antipasto or as part of a mezze table, not too vinegary with a nice crunch.

For a 500ml pot like the one shown you will need:

Carrots, prepared to fill the jar, slightly overfill at this point as they shrink during processing. I usually use a fluted cutter to get crinkly pieces but didn't have it with me so have made straight slices at an oblique angle. Just chop the carrot into the sort of pieces you like to eat, making sure they're all about the same thickness.

Pickling liquid ingredients;
200ml white wine or cider vinegar.
135ml water.
40g sugar.
1 tbsp. salt (now I'm guessing that's about 20g, keep it flat)
10 peppercorns
1 or 2 cloves of garlic according to size and taste. Halve them if big.
1 green chili pepper (optional) split into two or three pieces.
1 tsp. fennel seeds /or/ use a sprig of tarragon when filling the jar.

1 tsp. olive oil for finishing.

Put all the pickling liquid ingredients into a non-aluminium saucepan (don't put tarragon in at this stage) and bring to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes and then drop your prepared carrot slices in. Bring back to the boil and cook gently for 4 or 5 minutes. The carrots shouldn't become soft, this is just to allow the flavourings to penetrate the outer layers slightly.

Use a slotted spoon to lift out the carrots allowing the juice to drain back into the pan and pack into your perfectly clean jar, distributing the garlic and chili pepper pieces throughout. Add the tarragon now if using it. Bring the pickling liquid back to the boil and simmer for another five minutes. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil over the carrots in the jar and then top up with the boiling liquid making sure all the carrots are covered and seal the bottle. Ready for use in a couple of days and will keep for a month refrigerated.