Quotes
CHILLI, ORANGE & CORIANDER SAUERKRAUT
As someone who makes a lot of sauerkraut, this is one variety that I return to quite often. It’s really bright – not just in colour from the ruby-red cabbage, but also in flavour from the orange playing off the citrus notes of coriander. It really shines on a pickle platter and, with its fairly universal flavours, can be eaten alongside most cuisines. It’s also particularly beautiful when baked into my Sauercaccia (see ).
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | FERMENTATION TIME: 2–5 WEEKS
Makes a 1-litre jar
1kg red cabbage
1 orange (peel included), thinly sliced
2 mild chillies, thinly sliced (deseeded if you want to reduce the heat level)
measured salt: 2% of the total weight of above ingredients
1 tbsp coriander seeds
Halve the cabbage. Shred it finely using a sharp knife or a mandoline – I like to use as much of the cabbage as possible. Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl with the orange and chillies and calculate 2% of that total weight. This is the amount of salt you will need.
Remove the orange slices and set aside. Add the salt to the sliced cabbage and chillies and massage for 5–10 minutes, using a fair amount of pressure to optimize the creation of brine. If you do not see much brine, continue massaging the cabbage and a pool of brine should appear. Add the sliced orange and coriander seeds and mix it all together.
Decant into your jar and pack it down to ensure there are no air pockets in your sauerkraut, allowing the brine to gather on top of the mixture. Use a food-safe fermentation weight to ensure everything is below the brine.
Cover the jar and leave it at room temperature to ferment for 2–5 weeks. After 2 weeks, start tasting the fermented cabbage. When you’re pleased with the flavour, move it to the fridge where it will keep indefinitely.
As someone who makes a lot of sauerkraut, this is one variety that I return to quite often. It’s really bright – not just in colour from the ruby-red cabbage, but also in flavour from the orange playing off the citrus notes of coriander. It really shines on a pickle platter and, with its fairly universal flavours, can be eaten alongside most cuisines. It’s also particularly beautiful when baked into my Sauercaccia (see ).
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | FERMENTATION TIME: 2–5 WEEKS
Makes a 1-litre jar
1kg red cabbage
1 orange (peel included), thinly sliced
2 mild chillies, thinly sliced (deseeded if you want to reduce the heat level)
measured salt: 2% of the total weight of above ingredients
1 tbsp coriander seeds
Halve the cabbage. Shred it finely using a sharp knife or a mandoline – I like to use as much of the cabbage as possible. Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl with the orange and chillies and calculate 2% of that total weight. This is the amount of salt you will need.
Remove the orange slices and set aside. Add the salt to the sliced cabbage and chillies and massage for 5–10 minutes, using a fair amount of pressure to optimize the creation of brine. If you do not see much brine, continue massaging the cabbage and a pool of brine should appear. Add the sliced orange and coriander seeds and mix it all together.
Decant into your jar and pack it down to ensure there are no air pockets in your sauerkraut, allowing the brine to gather on top of the mixture. Use a food-safe fermentation weight to ensure everything is below the brine.
Cover the jar and leave it at room temperature to ferment for 2–5 weeks. After 2 weeks, start tasting the fermented cabbage. When you’re pleased with the flavour, move it to the fridge where it will keep indefinitely.
MORKOVCHA
Morkovcha is a version of kimchi found throughout post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, originated by displaced Korean populations known as the Koryo-saram. When you make this, you’ll find some similarities with kimchi, although it’s ultimately very different in both ingredients and process. I wanted to include this recipe as it reflects a time and place and how recipes can evolve due to displacement and accessibility – themes close to my own family history.
Chinese leaf cabbages weren’t readily available so carrots were swapped out for the key ingredient and even the name of this dish signals this confluence of cultures and traditions, morkovcha being a combination of the Russian word for carrot (morkov) and the Korean word for a salad-type dish (chae). As the name suggests, treat this more as a salad and each time you eat it – as a side dish or alongside other pickles – remember its origin and how access (or lack thereof) leads to innovation and creativity in food.
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | WAIT TIME: 5 HOURS
Makes a 500ml jar
500g carrots, peeled and julienned (or grated)
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp coarse gochugaru
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vinegar (white wine, rice wine, or my favourite, apple cider vinegar)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp white sesame seeds
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Put the carrots in a large bowl and mix in all of the dried spices, sugar and vinegar. Put the garlic on top of the carrot mixture – do not mix this in.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until smoking and pour over the garlic, thereby tempering it. Mix everything together and then add the sesame seeds and coriander. Enjoy this immediately (or after a few hours in the fridge). It is best consumed within a week.
Morkovcha is a version of kimchi found throughout post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, originated by displaced Korean populations known as the Koryo-saram. When you make this, you’ll find some similarities with kimchi, although it’s ultimately very different in both ingredients and process. I wanted to include this recipe as it reflects a time and place and how recipes can evolve due to displacement and accessibility – themes close to my own family history.
Chinese leaf cabbages weren’t readily available so carrots were swapped out for the key ingredient and even the name of this dish signals this confluence of cultures and traditions, morkovcha being a combination of the Russian word for carrot (morkov) and the Korean word for a salad-type dish (chae). As the name suggests, treat this more as a salad and each time you eat it – as a side dish or alongside other pickles – remember its origin and how access (or lack thereof) leads to innovation and creativity in food.
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES | WAIT TIME: 5 HOURS
Makes a 500ml jar
500g carrots, peeled and julienned (or grated)
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp coarse gochugaru
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vinegar (white wine, rice wine, or my favourite, apple cider vinegar)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp white sesame seeds
handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
Put the carrots in a large bowl and mix in all of the dried spices, sugar and vinegar. Put the garlic on top of the carrot mixture – do not mix this in.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until smoking and pour over the garlic, thereby tempering it. Mix everything together and then add the sesame seeds and coriander. Enjoy this immediately (or after a few hours in the fridge). It is best consumed within a week.
CRUNCHY SOY SAUCE CUCUMBERS
This is one of my favourite everyday Japanese pickles, with a combination of soy sauce and vinegar as its mode of preservation. Variations on this pickle were a constant in my childhood: eaten alongside rice balls and fried chicken during family road trips and always making an appearance at temple potlucks. They’re the definition of moreish and all you really need to appreciate them is a blank canvas of rice.
One important note here is regarding the types of cucumbers to use. In the UK, I tend to go for baby cucumbers (about 6–10cm/2½–4in long) as these have less water content than the standard larger English variety. If you can get your hands on pickling cucumbers, those are ideal. Another non-negotiable here is using a Japanese soy sauce – other versions may have a different salt content and flavour. Like it spicy? Add more chilli. Also, the sugar content can be reduced if you want, but remember that the Japanese palate leans sweet. See photo .
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES + minimum 2 hours salting
Makes a 1-litre jar
600g small cucumbers
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or, more traditionally, rice vinegar
1 whole dried chilli, thinly sliced or cut with scissors
10g root ginger, peeled and julienned
Cut each cucumber into fifths, about 1cm (½in) in size. Put these into a large bowl, add the salt and mix thoroughly. Leave for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Try to stir regularly to ensure it’s salted uniformly. The salting process will draw out liquid and allow the flavoured brine to better infuse the vegetables.
After the salting period, discard the liquid from the cucumbers.
To make the brine, put all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved. While the brine is still warm, pour it onto the cucumbers. Transfer them to a glass jar for fridge storage.
You can eat them immediately but they are best after a day or two in the brine. The cucumbers will continue to emit water, so aim to eat them within 2 weeks.
This is one of my favourite everyday Japanese pickles, with a combination of soy sauce and vinegar as its mode of preservation. Variations on this pickle were a constant in my childhood: eaten alongside rice balls and fried chicken during family road trips and always making an appearance at temple potlucks. They’re the definition of moreish and all you really need to appreciate them is a blank canvas of rice.
One important note here is regarding the types of cucumbers to use. In the UK, I tend to go for baby cucumbers (about 6–10cm/2½–4in long) as these have less water content than the standard larger English variety. If you can get your hands on pickling cucumbers, those are ideal. Another non-negotiable here is using a Japanese soy sauce – other versions may have a different salt content and flavour. Like it spicy? Add more chilli. Also, the sugar content can be reduced if you want, but remember that the Japanese palate leans sweet. See photo .
PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES + minimum 2 hours salting
Makes a 1-litre jar
600g small cucumbers
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or, more traditionally, rice vinegar
1 whole dried chilli, thinly sliced or cut with scissors
10g root ginger, peeled and julienned
Cut each cucumber into fifths, about 1cm (½in) in size. Put these into a large bowl, add the salt and mix thoroughly. Leave for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Try to stir regularly to ensure it’s salted uniformly. The salting process will draw out liquid and allow the flavoured brine to better infuse the vegetables.
After the salting period, discard the liquid from the cucumbers.
To make the brine, put all the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved. While the brine is still warm, pour it onto the cucumbers. Transfer them to a glass jar for fridge storage.
You can eat them immediately but they are best after a day or two in the brine. The cucumbers will continue to emit water, so aim to eat them within 2 weeks.
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