 Hosted By
Ellice & Monty |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Sweet-Sour Cucumber and Carrot Pickle With Turmeric
|
|
Serving Size -
4
|
|
Prepared By -
Tom
|
Recipe Rating
|
Printer Friendly Recipe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 or 5 small Kirby (pickling) cucumbers (about 14 oz) unpeeled, stemmed and cut into matchsticks about 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide |
|
|
2 medium sized carrots (about 7 oz) peeled and cut into matchsticks about 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide |
|
|
3 shallots (2 ½ oz) thinly sliced lengthwise |
|
|
1 or 2 fresh red Holland chiles or other fresh long, red chiles such as Fresno or Cayenne, stemmed and sliced on the diagonal, about ¼ inch |
|
|
|
|
4 shallots (about 3 oz), coarsely chopped |
|
|
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped |
|
|
3 candlenuts or unsalted macadamia nuts |
|
|
2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced against the grain |
|
|
2 inch piece of fresh turmeric root, peeled and coarsely chopped (or 2 tsp of ground turmeric) |
|
|
2-8 small dried red chiles such as arbol, stemmed and coarsely chopped |
|
|
5 Tbsp (2 ½ oz) peanut oil |
|
|
¼ tsp black mustard seeds |
|
|
4 Tbsp palm, cider or rice vinegar |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Place cucumbers, carrots, shallots and chiles into a non-reactive bowl and sprinkle the salt all over them. Massage the salt into the vegetables, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set it aside at room temperature for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring the vegetables every 30 minutes to distribute the salt evenly. The vegetables will lightly cure during this time, softening yet retaining a pleasing, gentle crunchiness. Meanwhile, make the flavoring paste. Place the shallots, garlic, candlenuts/macadamia nuts, ginger, turmeric and chiles in a small food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes. If the paste won’t purée properly and repeatedly creeps up the side of the processor instead of grinding, add up to 2 Tbsp of water, 1 Tbsp at a time, periodically turning the processor off and scraping the unground portions down toward the blade. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet (nonstick works the best) of medium-high heat. When it’s hot but not smoking—should appear shimmery—add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop and sputter (about 30 seconds), take the pan off the burner and wait a moment for the oil to cool down. Reduce the heat to medium-low, return the pan to the stove top, and let heat up for a minute. Test to see if the oil is the right temperature by adding a pinch of the ground paste. The paste should sizzle slightly around the edges, not fry aggressively or sit motionless. When the oil is ready, add all the paste and sauté, stirring as needed to prevent scorching, until the smell of raw shallots subsides and the aroma of the ginger takes over, 5-7 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar and stir to combine. Raise the heat slightly and bring the liquid to a lively simmer. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the vinegar is well amalgamated with the flavoring paste, about 2 minutes (maybe fewer). Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside. After the vegetables have been sitting for a least 1 ½ hours, taste a slice of cucumber. Like a good dill pickle, it should be pleasantly salty by not aggressively so. If the cucumber slice has just the right amount of saltiness, drain the vegetables in a colander, gently pressing down on them with your hands to remove as much brine as possible. Place the vegetables on paper towels to dry for 15 minutes. If the cucumber slice is too salty (which will likely to be the case), you’ll need to rinse away some of the salt. Immerse the vegetables in cold water and, with your hands, massage them around the water to rinse off the brine. Drain the vegetables in a colander, gently pressing down on them with your hands to remove as much brine as possible. Taste another slice of cucumber. If it is still very salty, repeat the rinsing process up to 4 times, or until saltiness is correct. Keep in mind, however, that this is a pickle dish, so the vegetables shouldn’t be bland. Place the vegetables on a paper towels, dry for 15 minutes. They don’t need to be bone dry, but they shouldn’t be soggy. Add vegetables to the now cooled flavoring paste in the skillet and stir well with a spoon. Transfer the pickle to a serving dish and allow to rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Alternatively, store a jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator and eat within 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating. The taste will be bolder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|