Chrouk Spey

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 500 gmustard greens, cut in 5 cm lengths
• 300 gwhite cabbage, cut in wide strips
• 2carrots, cut in batons
• 4spring onions, cut in lengths

Brine

• 1 litrewater
• 30 gcoarse non-iodised salt — 3%
• 2 tbspsugar
• 2 tbspcooked rice or rice-washing water

Aromatics

• 4 clovesgarlic, sliced
• 2bird’s eye chillies, whole
• 1 tspblack peppercorns

Directions

1. Spread the cut greens and cabbage on a tray and leave them in the sun or somewhere warm for two to three hours until slightly wilted. Wilting first drives off surface water so the brine is not diluted and the vegetables stay crisp.
2. Dissolve the salt and sugar completely in the water and stir in the cooked rice or rice-washing water. The rice starch feeds the lactic bacteria and gets the ferment moving within a day — this is what makes chrouk spey quick where a plain brine is slow.
3. Pack the vegetables into a clean jar with the garlic, chilli and peppercorns, pressing down firmly.
4. Pour over the brine so everything is submerged by at least 2 cm, and weight it down. Anything floating above the brine will spoil.
5. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for three to seven days, tasting from the fourth day. In Cambodian heat it can be ready in three.
6. When it is pleasantly sour and still crunchy, move it to the fridge, where it keeps for a month and slowly goes softer and sourer.
7. Serve alongside grilled meat, fried fish and rice, as the sharp thing on a rich plate.

Technique

• Three percent is a lower salt level than a long winter pickle because this one is eaten within weeks, not months. Do not stretch the timeline at this salt level.
• Keep everything under the brine. It is the only thing that goes wrong.
• Wilting the greens is worth the two hours. Skipped, the pickle is watery and limp within days.

Substitutions

• Chinese mustard greens, gai choy or even kale, all of which behave the same way.
• A spoonful of whey from yoghurt in place of the rice, which starts it just as fast.

Variations

• A sweeter version with more sugar and a splash of vinegar is served with grilled pork.
• The Vietnamese dưa chua and Thai pak dong are close cousins made the same way.

History

The everyday Cambodian pickle, kept in a jar by the stove to cut the richness of fried dishes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chrouk Spey?

Chrouk Spey is a fermented & pickled from Cambodia: mustard greens and cabbage soured in brine, served alongside grilled meat and rice. The everyday Cambodian pickle, kept in a jar by the stove to cut the richness of fried dishes.

How long does Chrouk Spey take to make?

Chrouk Spey takes 30 min plus 3 to 7 days souring of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes fills a 1-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chrouk Spey?

Yes, within limits. Chinese mustard greens, gai choy or even kale, all of which behave the same way. A spoonful of whey from yoghurt in place of the rice, which starts it just as fast.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chrouk Spey?

Three percent is a lower salt level than a long winter pickle because this one is eaten within weeks, not months. Do not stretch the timeline at this salt level.