I can’t let today go past without sharing my LOVELY piccalilli recipe which I made 6 jars of last week as part of my christmas hampers.  Why today?  Well, I just sampled some for the first time, with a cheese and ham toastie.  It was perfect, good and crunchy, tangy with a bit of a bite to it.  The recipe is dead easy but you have to start preparing it the day before.

Cheeky Wipes: Piccalilli

My recipe is from the fabulous book Preserved, by Nick Sandler & Johnny Acton which is available from Amazon and full of yummy things to make.  Preserved lemons are next on my list to make from that book…  Anyway, here’s their recipe, which I actually tripled because my cauliflower on it’s own weighed a kilo:

To make 3 x 300ml pots

• 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) mixed veg*, diced in cubes
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 50g (2ox) mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 50g (2oz) plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 tablespoons cider vinegar, plus another 150ml (1/4 pint) cider vinegar
• 250ml (9fl oz) malt vinegar
• a dash of water

*The recipe recommends carrot, cauliflower, shallot, turnip, baby corn, parsnip and pickling cucumber.  I used red onion instead of shallot which makes it a very pretty colour, sweetcorn for baby corn and courgettes instead of pickling cucumber.  I skipped turnips, bleurgh yuck.

1. Dice your veg & place in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle salt over and mix well.  Leave overnight to draw out the liquid.
3. In your biggest saucepan, mix the turmeric, mustard, white pepper, ginger, flour, nutmeg and the 5 tbs of cider vinegar to a smooth paste.
4. Whisk in the remaining vinegar, then add the veg, malt vinegar and a little water – enough so that most of the veg are covered but not all.
5. Gently heat the mixture until the sauce thickens (about 15 mins).  Stir constantly or the flour will stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Store your piccalilli in sterilised jars (straight from dishwasher, or warm after spending 5 mins in oven at 180c)
7. Piccalilli will keep for 6 months in cool larder and mature nicely.  Once opened refrigerate and eat within 6 weeks.