A recipe from Cornersmith - Pickled Fennel with Chilli
Cornersmith’s all-time favourite winter pickle! We use this on sandwiches with salami, chilli and ricotta, tossed through salads or with barbecued fish. Once you’ve finished eating the pickles, keep the jar of brine in the fridge. Whisked with some extra virgin olive oil, it makes a great salad dressing.
PREPARATION TIME
45 minutes
COOKING TIME
10 minutes, plus 15 minutes heat-processing
STORAGE
up to 12 months
MAKES
2 x 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cup) jars
INGREDIENTS
2 large fennel bulbs
1 brown onion, sliced
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon chilli flakes or chopped fresh red chilli
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
(for the brine)
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) white wine vinegar
110 g (33⁄4 oz/1⁄2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
First, sterilise your jars (see page 250 of the cookbook).
Cut the fennel into long thin strips – you can use all of it, including the core, stems and fronds. Mix the fennel and onion together in a bowl. Sprinkle over the spices and mix through with your hands.
Make a brine by putting the vinegar, sugar, salt and 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of water into a non-reactive saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
When the jars are cool enough to handle, use small tongs or clean hands to carefully pack the fennel mixture into the jars. The jars should be full but not over-packed – the brine needs to cover every strip of fennel, and if they are packed too tightly the brine won’t be able to get into every nook and cranny (see page 252 for more on packing techniques).
Carefully fill the jars with the hot brine until the fennel is completely covered. Remove any air bubbles by gently tapping each jar on the work surface and sliding a butter knife or chopstick around the inside to release any hidden air pockets. You may need to add more brine or fennel after doing this (the liquid should reach about 1 cm/1⁄2 in from the top of the jar). Wipe the rims of the jars with paper towel and seal.
Heat-process (see page 255 of the cookbook) for 15 minutes, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. Let the jars of pickled fennel mature for a few weeks before opening them, then keep in the fridge and use within 3 months.
