Sichuan Pickled CabbageRe: [Sca-cooks] A Question

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Elaine Koogler wrote:
>
> I haven't heard of doing that, but I do have a question along these lines for
> everyone.  Some years ago, I was given a wonderful recipe for a very mild form
> of kimchee, I think it may have been Vietnamese, as it came from a fellow who
> had served there.  The thing that made it a bit different, apart from the
> mildness of it (which made it so that I could eat it!!!) was that it used
> szechuan pepper instead of one of the many types of red pepper/paprika/red
> pepper flakes, etc.  Therefore, it didn't have that reddish appearance.
>
> If anyone has heard of this and has the recipe, I'd love to have it again.  It's
> be really great for Pennsic...if I start it now.

Could this be what you're thinking of? I believe this made it to last
Pennsic with Phlip, and Margali had asked for the recipe, too, but life
has, as always, been interesting, and you just reminded me. Once again,
from _Florence Lin's Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings, and
Breads_,  the One True Chinese Cookbook. Well, my favorite, if perhaps
less encyclopedic than some other good ones.

"SICHUAN PICKLED CABBAGE

Sichuan Pao Cai

Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

1 pound green cabbage (use the inner white leaves only)
3 Tbs coarse salt
4 cups cold water
1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional) [Note: Adamantius sez check out
cubebs if you have no Szechuan peppercorns]
4 dried hot chili peppers, or 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes or to your taste

	Cut or tear the cabbage into 1 1/2 by 1-inch pieces; you should have
about six cups.
	In a 2-quart wide-mouth jar, dissolve the salt in the water. Add the
peppercorns and chili peppers. Mix well, then add the cabbage and press
it down to the bottom within the liquid. Cover and keep the jar at room
temperature for one day, then in the refrigerator for about three days.
Remove the cabbage with clean, dry chopsticks or a fork and serve it
cold. The brine will improve the flavor after two or three times of
pickling. Store the relish jar in the refrigerator.
	You may continue to use the brine. Add more fresh cabbage as a batch of
it is used up. Cabbage soaked in aged brine will be pickled in one to
two days. After you've added cabbage twice to the brine, replace the
peppers if you like. When the liquid isn't enough to cover the cabbage,
it is time to make a half recipe of brine and add that to the original."

At another point in the section, Lin says:
	"Other vegetables, such as cut-up caulifower, peeled broccoli stems,
Chinese white turnips (luo-bo), the skins only scraped lightly; young
green beans; peeled carrots; or young fresh peeled ginger (available in
Chinese markets in early summer) may be used instead of cabbage or
combined with it in the same jar. Two to four fresh chili peppers may be
used instead of dried ones."

This actually one of several Chinese pickle recipes found in this book,
but this is one of the easiest and best.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com