Jim's Piccalilli
Submitted by loriann
Traditional English piccalilli with cauliflower, cucumber, pearl onions, and green tomatoes in a turmeric-mustard sauce. Homemade mustard pickle that improves with keeping.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsPiccalilli is the bright yellow mustard pickle that’s been a staple of British cold meat platters and ploughman’s lunches for generations. This version from Jim follows the traditional method: brine the vegetables, simmer in malt vinegar, then coat in a punchy turmeric-mustard sauce thickened with flour.
The 4-hour salt brine is the first critical step. It draws moisture out of the cauliflower, cucumber, onions, and green tomatoes, which firms them up and prevents the finished pickle from going watery in the jar. Don’t shortcut this or you’ll end up with soggy veg.
The sauce is where the real character lives. Malt vinegar simmered with bruised mustard seeds, fresh ginger, garlic, peppercorns, turmeric, and dry mustard builds a complex, aromatic base. After straining out the whole spices, a flour-water slurry goes in to thicken it into a glossy coating that clings to every piece of vegetable.
You can eat this straight away once cooled, but piccalilli genuinely improves with time. After a week or two in the jar, the flavours meld and the vinegar softens. It keeps up to 3 months in a cool, dry spot.
Kitchen Tips
- Bruise the mustard seeds and peppercorns with the flat side of a knife or a mortar. This releases their oils into the vinegar
- Use green tomatoes if you can find them. Their firmness and tartness are ideal here. Firm red tomatoes work but the texture is softer
- Strain the sauce thoroughly. Any leftover whole spices in the finished pickle create bitter hot spots
- Fill jars while the sauce and vegetables are still warm, and only tighten lids fully once completely cold
Variations
- Spicy piccalilli: Add a teaspoon of cayenne or a chopped fresh chilli to the sauce for some heat
- Beer piccalilli: Replace half the malt vinegar in the sauce with a pale ale for a more mellow, rounded tanginess
Ingredients
Directions
A traditional English mustard pickle, Piccalilli is made from a variety of vegetables which are first soaked in brine, then pickled in vinegar.
The finished pickle is yellow in colour owing to the presence of turmeric and mustard.
The pickle may be served immediately it has cooled, but it improves with keeping and may be stored for up to 3 months.
Piccalilli is usually served with cold meats.
Use firm red tomatoes if green ones are unavailable.
About 3 pounds.
Place the cauliflower, cucumber, pearl onions, Spanish onion and tomatoes in a large bowl.
Sprinkle with salt over the vegetables and set them aside for 4 hours.
Drain the vegetables in a colander and discard the liquid.
In a large saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil over high heat.
Add the vegetables and reduce the heat to low.
Cover the pan and simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes or until they are almost tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.
Remove the pan from the heat and drain the vegetables in a colander.
Discard the vinegar.
Place the vegetables in a large bowl.
Sauce: To make the sauce, pour the vinegar into a medium sized pan and stir in the mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, turmeric, mustard and sugar.
Place the pan over low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to moderate and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and strain the liquid into a medium sized bowl.
Discard the flavourings left in the strainer.
Rinse the pan and return the strained mixture to it.
Stir in the flour mixed with the water and place over moderate heat.
Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour sauce over the vegetables.
Mix the vegetables with the sauce with 2 spoons, tossing until coated with sauce.
Spoon into clean, warm, dry jars with screw top lids.
Spoon any sauce remaining into the jars, so they are completely full.
Place lids on the jars and half screw into position.
Set jars aside until completely cold.
Screw lids on firmly and store the jars in a cool, dry place.
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