Pikliz

Ingredients

Pickle

• 500 gwhite cabbage, cored and very finely shredded
• 2large carrots (250 g), coarsely grated or julienned
• 1onion (120 g), sliced paper thin
• 4shallots, sliced thin
• 6–10scotch bonnet peppers, stalks removed, sliced into rings
• 2 tspfine salt
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 6whole cloves
• 3 sprigsthyme
• juice of 3 limes (about 90 ml)
• 500–600 mlwhite vinegar, enough to cover

Directions

1. Shred the cabbage as fine as you can manage with a knife; a food processor bruises it and the pikliz goes soft in the jar.
2. Combine cabbage, carrot, onion, shallot and scotch bonnet rings in a large bowl and toss hard with the salt for a minute so the vegetables begin to slacken.
3. Add the lime juice, peppercorns, cloves and thyme and toss again. Let it stand 15 minutes.
4. Pack the mixture into a clean 1 litre jar, pressing down firmly with a spoon until the vegetables are compacted to about three quarters of the jar.
5. Pour in white vinegar to cover completely, tapping the jar to release trapped air; every shred must sit under the liquid.
6. Seal and leave at room temperature for 24 hours, then refrigerate. It is edible at a day, properly fierce and rounded after 3 days.
7. Serve in a small dish alongside griot, fried plantain, akra or rice, using a fork to lift out the vegetables and leaving most of the liquid behind.
8. Keeps refrigerated for at least 3 months, growing hotter as the peppers infuse the vinegar.

Technique

• Pikliz is a vinegar pickle, not a lacto-ferment; the acid goes in from the start, so there is no bubbling stage and nothing to burp.
• Heat is adjustable at the slicing board: seeds and white pith in for full Haitian force, peppers halved and deseeded for a gentler jar.
• Wear gloves for the scotch bonnets and do not lean over the bowl. The capsaicin oil transfers to skin for hours.

Substitutions

• No scotch bonnet: habanero is the same species and the closest match. Bird’s eye chillies work but bring heat without the fruity apricot note.
• Cane vinegar or cider vinegar can stand in for white vinegar, giving a slightly sweeter, softer pickle.

Variations

• Some cooks add a few slices of green pepper and a stick of celery for crunch and colour.
• A Cap-Haitien version includes thin batons of green papaya, which stay very crisp.

History

Cabbage, carrot and scotch bonnet pickled in vinegar, served with fried food; the sharp relish cuts the fat of griot and tassot.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pikliz?

Pikliz is a sauce & condiment from Haiti: fiery pickled cabbage-carrot relish with scotch bonnet. Cabbage, carrot and scotch bonnet pickled in vinegar, served with fried food; the sharp relish cuts the fat of griot and tassot.

How long does Pikliz take to make?

Pikliz takes 25 min of preparation and 24 hr to 3 days curing of cooking. The recipe makes 1 litre jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Pikliz?

Yes, within limits. No scotch bonnet: habanero is the same species and the closest match. Bird’s eye chillies work but bring heat without the fruity apricot note. Cane vinegar or cider vinegar can stand in for white vinegar, giving a slightly sweeter, softer pickle.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pikliz?

Pour in white vinegar to cover completely, tapping the jar to release trapped air; every shred must sit under the liquid.