Author Notes
Not quite a pickle and not quite a salad these Turkish flavors could grace your meze table in a Middle Eastern feast. - SippitySup —Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)
Test Kitchen Notes
The cucumbers and fennel in this recipe are wonderfully spiced. The tart, almost-pickles come out with the perfect amount of snap. The spicy cucumbers would be great on any meze platter. - Stephanie
—The Editors
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Ingredients
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1 pound
very young cucumbers or better yet, Persian cucumbers
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2
very young fennel bulbs
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3
Thai bird chilis or similar hot pepper
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10
cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
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1 teaspoon
fennel seeds
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1 tablespoon
coriander seeds
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1
cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
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1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes (or to taste) optional
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3 cups
white vinegar
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1 cup
water
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3 tablespoons
sugar
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2 tablespoons
kosher salt
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1
bay leaf
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1 teaspoon
black peppercorns
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olive oil to taste
Directions
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Cut your cucumber into 1/2-inch spears. You may need to quarter or half them. Young Persian cucumbers can often be left whole. You are looking for uniformity, so use your judgment.
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Trim the fennel bulbs evenly, and cut them lengthwise into quarters. retain the fronds for garnish. Remove some of the core, keeping the layers intact. Slice these into 1/2-inch slices.
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Put the cucumbers, fennel, Thai chilis and garlic cloves into a low-sided large baking dish.
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Add all the remaining ingredients to a large, non-reactive, saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool some for about 5 minutes. Then poor the hot liquid over the cucumber fennel mixture, stirring to coat well. The liquid should nearly cover all the ingredients. If not add a bit more water.
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Let the mixture cool completely. You may then cover the dish and move it into the refrigerator. They will be ready to eat in about 4 hours, but will be at their best if you wait until the next day before eating them. Serve chilled on a family style platter with a bit of the marinade and a good drizzle of fruity olive oil. Garnish with fennel fronds.
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