Sides & Sauces · England-wide (Anglo-Indian)

Piccalilli

Name: Piccalilli
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Makes 2 × 450g jars
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 small cauliflower, tiny florets; 2 onions, chopped; 200g green beans, sliced; 100g salt (for brining); 500ml malt vinegar; 2 tbsp mustard powder; 1 tbsp turmeric; 1 tbsp flour; 100g sugar; 1 tbsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp ground ginger

Crunchy vegetables in a fierce mustard-and-turmeric pickle — England’s yellow answer to chutney, essential beside pork pies, ploughman’s and cold ham.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 50 min
Yield: Makes 2 × 450g jars
Difficulty: Moderate
Era: Georgian

Ingredients

1 small cauliflower, tiny florets; 2 onions, chopped; 200g green beans, sliced
100g salt (for brining)
500ml malt vinegar
2 tbsp mustard powder; 1 tbsp turmeric; 1 tbsp flour; 100g sugar
1 tbsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp ground ginger

Method

Brine the vegetables in salted water overnight; drain and rinse.
Simmer the vegetables in half the vinegar for 5 minutes — they must stay crunchy.
Mix the spices and flour to a paste with a little vinegar; add to the pan with the sugar and remaining vinegar.
Simmer 5 minutes until thickened and glossy.
Pack into hot sterilised jars, seal, and leave 2 weeks before attacking with cold meats and pork pies.

Oven temperatures are given in Celsius, Fahrenheit, fan and gas mark throughout. Quantities are metric, as cooked and written in the UK.