Throughout winter our natural instinct is to preserve food for the cold and lean months ahead. These pickled cucumbers – or gherkins – are easy to do and wonderful alongside cold cuts and rich pork rillettes. The additional infusion of Kadode Kampot Black Peppercorns to this traditional Scandinavian recipe adds a piquant, peppery heat to the sweetness of the cucumbers.
Ingredients
3-4 Organic Ridged English cucumbers, cut into 2cm slices
One large sprig of Dill, sorted into florets
Brine
1 litre of Spirit Vinegar
300-400g of unrefined Caster Sugar (adjust to preferred sweetness)
2.5 tsp of Sea Salt
2 Lemons, juiced
Half a tbsp of whole Kadode Kampot Black Peppercorns
Half a tbsp of freshly crushed Kadode Kampot Black Peppercorns
Method
Crush half a tablespoon of Kadode Kampot Black Peppercorns with a pestle and mortar until they’re the consistency of roughly ground coffee. Place the ground pepper in a fine mesh tea infuser.
In a large saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, and whole Kadode Kampot Black Peppercorns to the boil. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved, then add the crushed pepper in the infuser as the brine warms up. After the mixture has boiled and simmered for 3-5 minutes, take off the heat, add the lemon juice and allow to cool. Remove the infuser.
Pack the sliced cucumbers and dill into a sterilised 1 litre jar, pressing them together. Invert the jar gently once or twice to evenly distribute peppercorns.
Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers and seal tightly. There will be room for more cucumbers the next day. Add these, and then leave the cucumbers in a dark cupboard for at least two days. After opening keep in refrigerator and use within two months.
Chris Lowthorpe - February 2015, Kadode Kampot Pepper UK Recipes