SIMPLE PICKLED VEG, Chinese style: Vegan, frugal, 'plain' opt

Get ready for a treat -- picked veg in under an hour!

Pickled crudités - some crispy & crunchy; some al dente
 (and Yes, I did forget the cucumber!)

''Wow!' 'Delicious!' 'I normally detest cauli but love these!' Tasters

I first encountered pickled veg at a central London hotel popular with foreign correspondents.  The basic recipe was astonishing -- super quick, tremendously easy with delicious punchy results. 

It's a simple method, made to be consumed on the day.   

There's a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and then soaking in hot pickling liquid.  Results?  A colourful collection of people-pleasing crudités.  Definitely not run-of-the-mill.  

And they're not expensive, using ingredients found in most store cupboards. 

This recipe is 67's own blend.

Cost: £1
Serves: Many as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks 
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, de-stringed

Pickling liquid:
    min 4 1/2tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar 
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil; add carrot sticks & cauliflower; reduce heat to med high; after 2 mins, add strips of pepper.  At the 5 minute mark, remove veg with slotted spoon or spider (saving blanching liquid), and plunge veg into ice water.  Leave a few mins; drain
2. Mix pickling liquid ingred in a saucepan; place over med high heat until steam rises from the surface and bubbles appear around the edge
3. Arrange cooked and raw veg in the bottom of a heatproof dish that will hold most of the veg in one layer
4. Pour hot pickling liquid over the veg
5. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until all is at room temperature 
6. Drain, reserving liquid
7. Arrange veg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, pepper & a little salt 
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve
9. Have cocktail sticks and plenty of serviettes on hand

Comments:

• 'They're delicious!.  I like the mushrooms best.  I don't normally like celery but the pickling makes them edible.'  Hospital governor + local council candidate
• 'Wow!  Incredible.  The snow peas are my favourite but the cauliflower is amazing.'  Wonder Woman Office Administrator
• 'Mmm..mmm! All the veg are delicious.  I am doing this for Christmas Day.  Normally I eat crudités as a chore but I love the cauliflower and I normally detest cauli!'  Political Agent

Tips:

• the leftover pickling liquid can be re-used once within 3 days
• a lighter pickling solution can be achieved by mixing 2-3 tbsp sugar, 75 ml white vinegar and 75ml cold tap or blanching water with your own choice of herbs and spices

                                            
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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.