This one’s a keeper. Cucina povera at its best — a quarter cabbage and a couple of onions turned into a sharp, mustardy little condiment that punches well above its size. It’s not a ferment, just a quick vinegar pickle, but it holds in the fridge for a good two weeks. Scoop it out for cheese and crackers, or pile it into a sandwich with meat or serve as a side with any dish that needs something to cut through the fat.
MUSTARD PICKLED CABBAGE
Ingredients
- ¼ napa cabbage, sliced finely
- 2 small onions (or 1 large), sliced finely
- 65g (¼ cup) sugar, for macerating
- 125ml (½ cup) vinegar
- 60ml (¼ cup) neutral oil
- 1½ tsp cooking salt
- 30g (2 tbsp) sugar, for the brine
- homemade grain mustard, to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp celery seed
Method
- Toss the ¼ napa cabbage and 2 small onions with 65g (¼ cup) sugar in a bowl. Sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then squeeze out the liquid and set the cabbage aside.
- Heat 125ml (½ cup) vinegar, 60ml (¼ cup) oil, 1½ tsp salt, 30g (2 tbsp) sugar, a spoonful of homemade grain mustard, ½ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp celery seed together in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Don’t let it boil hard — a gentle simmer is enough.
- Tip the squeezed cabbage straight into the hot brine and stir through to coat. There’s no separate cooking step — the heat of the brine is enough.
- Let it sit for 2 hours.
- Drain through a sieve.
- Pack into a jar and refrigerate.
Notes
This is a small batch — quarter napa cabbage, two small onions, it makes a good sized jar — and it’s the right amount. Don’t scale it up; it condenses down to about two weeks’ worth of condiment, which is plenty. As it sits in the jar, liquid will pool at the bottom. Tip this off periodically to keep the cabbage on top drier.
Serve with crackers, cheddar cheese and wine, as a pickle on the side with meat, or tucked into a sandwich.