Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a fine (and very easy) example of fermenting, and it's delicious with hot meat, like sausages, or spooned onto a mouthful of cured meat.
1 green cabbage (I recommend Savoy Cabbage)
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
MAKES 1 JAR (ABOUT 200 G/7 OZ.)
Remove an outer leaf of the cabbage, rinse and set aside - don't worry if it tears a bit.
Chop the cabbage into thin slices, removing the stalk in the middle.
In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the salt and caraway seeds over the cabbage, and then massage with your hands for 5 minutes, squeezing the salt into the cabbage so that it reduces and starts to draw out the moisture. Set aside for at least 1 hour, until more water is drawn out and gathers at the bottom.
Sterilize a jar, and then put the cabbage and liquid in the jar. If you have more than about 4-5 tablespoons of liquid, drain a little bit away. (The liquid shouldn't come higher than the cabbage.)
Squash the cabbage down in the jar and then push the reserved leaf down on top, so that there is air above the leaf but no gap below it.
Store at room temperature for 3-4 days, then transfer to the refrigerator for 1 day before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Sour Cream Slaw
A tangy and fresh alternative to a traditional coleslaw and a great (optional) addition to the New York Deli board on page 28.
125 g/2 cups shredded white cabbage
125 g/2 cups shredded red cabbage
175 g/generous 1¼ cups grated carrots
½ white onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caster/superfine sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
50 g/scant ¼ cup mayonnaise
50 g/scant ¼ cup sour cream
MAKES 500 G/6 CUPS
Place the white and red cabbage, carrots and onion in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, sugar and vinegar. Stir well and then leave to drain over a bowl for 20 minutes.
Mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream, then combine with the cabbage, carrots and onion. Serve immediately or cover and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Sweet & Feisty Crème Fraîche
This is lovely served with the Slow-cooked, Dry-rub Pork Ribs with BBQ Sauce (see page 160), for example. It's got a bit of a kick but also a sweetness and freshness, so it's ideal to soften a rich serving of cured meat.
2 tablespoons crème fraîche/sour cream
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
4 pinches of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons maple syrup
SERVES 4
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to mix them together. Serve immediately or cover and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Celeriac Remoulade
½ celeriac/celery root, peeled and grated
freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon (see Cook's Note)
1 teaspoon mustard (Dijon/French or wholegrain are best)
a big pinch of freshly chopped parsley
a pinch of fennel seeds
a pinch of sea salt
SERVES 4
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing them together well, and chill in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving so that the flavours can be absorbed.
Cook's Note
Add the freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon first and then taste and add a little more, if you like.
Apple Slaw
You'll see quite a lot of sour or acidic ingredients in the accompaniments and the recipes. They go so well with the rich, salty salumi, so it really reaches the far sides of your taste buds. Here's a slaw recipe with a sour apple taste.
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ white cabbage, cored and shredded
1 carrot, grated
4-5 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
a big pinch of freshly chopped parsley
2 eating/dessert apples, cored and coarsely grated (leave the peel on)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
SERVES 2-3
Pop all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Be sure to taste the slaw and then adjust the seasoning and add more of anything to suit your taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Try to make this at least 1 hour before serving, so that you can chill it really well and allow the flavours to mingle - this creates a delightful contrast with salumi.
Fig Chutney
Enjoy this sticky, sweet and mildly spiced fig chutney alongside pâté and homemade crackers or your favourite cheese. Make the most of fresh figs when they're in season!
25 g/2 tablespoons butter
1 red onion, finely diced
12 fresh figs, peeled and chopped
40 g/1½ oz. soft/packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a pinch of ground ginger
a handful of sultanas/golden raisins
freshly squeezed juice of ¼ lemon
MAKES 1 JAR (ABOUT 200G/7 OZ.)
Melt the butter in a frying pan/skillet, then add the onion and fry over fairly high heat until it's soft and starting to brown. Stir in the figs and sugar, then add the vinegar, ginger and sultanas/golden raisins. Add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a sterilized jar or a suitable airtight container and cover. Store in the refrigerator. It is best to make this chutney at least 24 hours before serving, to allow the flavours to mature.
Cook's Note
This chutney will keep (if sealed) for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it (in an airtight container). Just check the flavour after you defrost it, as it might need a little top-up of seasoning - perhaps a little more ground ginger or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Caramelized Red Onions
Easy peasy caramelizey. Something that can be an accompaniment or as part of a recipe (see Tarte au Saucisson Sec on page 144), and they last a couple of days in a sealed container in the refrigerator, too.
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons runny honey
SERVES 2
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Put the onion in an ovenproof dish (see Cook's Note), drizzle over the honey and stir to mix so that the onions are well coated.
Roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until caramelized. Roast for longer if you want them chewy and crispy. If you're doing a bigger batch, it's worth giving them a shimmy around so that they all get a chance to caramelize.
You can freeze this in portions for 6 months, or it'll keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Cook's Note
These caramelized onions get very sticky, so I tend to line the ovenproof dish with foil, with the edges folded in, so that I can throw it away, rather than scrub sticky onions off the dish.
Puttanesca Relish
This relish is quite like the Olive Tapenade (see below), but it's lighter and not as rich. It can be used to add to sandwiches and recipes, but it's also lovely served with a charcuterie board and spooned onto the meats.
50 g/2 oz. pitted black or Kalamata olives
2 canned anchovy fillets, drained
2 teaspoons capers, drained
a big pinch of freshly chopped coriander/cilantro
½ garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
200-g/7-oz. can of tomatoes, drained (so you just have the pulp without too much liquid)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 1 JAR (ABOUT 200 G/7 OZ.)
Pop all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until the pieces are nice and small and the texture is relatively smooth. I still like a few small chunks, so I stop before it becomes more like a purée.
Transfer the mixture to a small, sterilized jar or an airtight container, or divide it between two ramekins and cover.
This relish will keep for a week or two in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is also suitable for freezing. If you do freeze it, defrost it slowly in the refrigerator and then taste before you serve it, topping up any of the flavours that you think need a boost - perhaps the coriander/cilantro or the garlic.
Cook's Note
If you're eating this relish straight away, you can mix in a little crème fraîche/sour cream to make it slightly creamy, if you like. This won't then keep beyond a day in the refrigerator though, so only mix it in just before you serve it.
Olive Tapenade
This is a great mixture to have in a jar in the refrigerator to add to boards.
50 g/2 oz. pitted black olives
2 canned anchovy fillets, drained
1 teaspoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
5 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon tomato purée/paste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 1 JAR (ABOUT 200 G/7 OZ.)
Pop all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until the pieces are nice and small and the texture is relatively smooth. I still like a few small chunks, so I stop before it becomes more like a purée.
Transfer the mixture to a small, sterilized jar or an airtight container, or divide it between two ramekins and cover.
This tapenade keeps for at least a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is also suitable for freezing in portions. If you do freeze it, defrost it slowly in the refrigerator and taste before...
