Lucky Pickle (Leek and watermelon radish)
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Author Notes: Welcome in the New Year---this year, 2013, will be The Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar--- with an easy and elegant pickle. There are only a handful of ingredients and the idea is that each should resemble coins for good luck and prosperity, so we combine a lovely watermelon radish with big, fat slices of leek. This is what has come to be known as a quick pickle. It can be used the same day. But I prefer it a day or two later. This makes a groovy ban shan companion side to Korean type foods such as kalbi, bulgogi, or a kimchi pork stew. - pierino
Serves 4
- 1 big fat leek (white part only)*
- 1 or 2 watermelon radishes, about ½ pound in total weight
- 1 good sized jalapeno pepper (a fatty)
- 5 peeled garlic cloves (slightly crushed)
- Just a few whole szechuan pepper corns; I would suggest 8 as that is a lucky number in China.
- 1 teaspoon Sugar, brown or white
- White vinegar
- Using a tool like a mandolin or else a very sharp knife, thinly slice your watermelon radish
- Slice the white parts of the leek somewhat thicker, reserving the green tops for something else*
- Slice the jalapeno pepper
- Mix the sugar and vinegar together
- In a GLASS container that you can tightly seal layer the radish and leek slices along with the jalapeno
- Add in the garlic and pepper corns and cover with vinegar. Seal the container and refrigerate until ready to use. Give it a shake or two now and then.
- *I like to save the leek tops to use for a bouquet garnie for stock. I picked this up from Thomas Keller. Fill the tops with parsley, bay leaves and so on and tight all up with kitchen string. We are multi-tasking that leek.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe with Vinegar
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Leeks
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5 months ago TiggyBee
Oh pierino, you've done it again.
Brillante!
5 months ago pierino
pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.
Thank you TiggyBee. Lately I've been taking inspiration from Korean-American cooks I admire; David Chang, Roy Choi and Saang Yoon. These guys just knock me out. But I wanted to keep the pickle simple and watermelon radishes came along...
5 months ago TiggyBee
I just recently made my own kimchee with radishes and cabbage, but your recipe kicks ass.