Asian pickling

[Alice Levitt]

Wanted to pickle some radishes, carrots, etc... for banh mi filling. Does anyone have a great recipe?

[Sacha]

Cucumber with Rice Vinegar & Wasabi
1 lb. Japanese or Kirby cucumbers (about 5)
½ teaspoon wasabi powder
½ teaspoon water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
Equipment:
an adjustable-blade slicer
Very thinly slice cucumbers crosswise with slicer; toss with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander 15 minutes. Rinse cucumbers under cold water, then squeeze handfuls to remove excess water; pat dry.

Stir together wasabi powder and water in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, whisking until sugar has dissolved. Add cucumbers and toss well.


Cucumber Apple Pickles (Korean)
½ lb. Japanese or Kirby cucumbers
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ Fuji or Granny Smith apple
2 cups water
⅓ cup rice vinegar (not seasoned) or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon very thin matchsticks of peeled ginger
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of Korean hot red-pepper threads (optional)
Slice cucumbers crosswise 1/8 inch thick and toss with sea salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then rinse well and squeeze out excess liquid with your hands.

Halve apple half lengthwise and cut out core. Slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick.

Toss apple with cucumbers and remaining ingredients and marinate, chilled, turning occasionally, at least 1 day.



Vietnamese Carrot Radish Pickles
I cup sliced white or daikon radish
1 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup white rice vinegar or white vinegar
Rub the salt into the carrots and radish and let stand for at least 20 minutes. Rinse off the salt with water. Drain the water completely. Use your hands to gently squeeze both the carrots and radish until they are dry. The carrots and radish should be slightly rubbery to the touch as the salt would have extracted quite a lot of its moisture content.

In a glass bowl, add the sugar and vinegar to the carrots and radish. Allow this to marinate for at least 2 hours. Chill before serving to enjoy the refreshing taste of this pickle.


Szechuan Pickled Vegetables
1 turnip
2 medium carrots
½ lb. Napa cabbage
4 dried chili peppers
2 teaspoons whole Szechuan peppercorn
3 tablespoons salt
2 ½ cups boiling water
2 tablespoons wine
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
3 slices ginger
Cut the turnip and carrots into chunks. Do not peel. Tear the Napa cabbage leaves into shreds. Chop the peppers into small pieces.

Place the peppercorn and the salt in the bottom of the pickling jar. Pour in the boiling water, stirring to dissolve the salt. Cool.

Stir in the wine. Add the cinnamon stick. ginger, and the vegetables. Cover and let sit for at least 2 days before using. .

[Sacha]

Sweet-and-sour Cucumbers
2 large English cucumbers or 13 pickling cucumbers
1 cup Japanese unseasoned rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, finely chopped
1. Trim the ends of the cucumbers. Halve them lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber on the diagonal into thin slices about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the slices to a bowl.
2. In another bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and ginger. Add it to the cucumbers. Toss lightly, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 7 days.