Lilly Higgins recipe: Piccalilli

Serves: 0
Course: Side Dish
Cooking Time: 0 hr 1 mins
Ingredients
  • Makes 6 jars
  • 800g cauliflower
  • 350g carrots
  • 350g courgettes
  • 1 small red onion
  • Sea salt
  • 3tbs fennel seeds
  • 3tbs coriander seeds
  • 3tbs cumin seeds
  • 5tbs cornflour
  • 2tbs ground turmeric
  • 3tbs Mustard powder
  • 1 litre cider vinegar
  • 300g sugar

Chop all of the vegetables into bite-size pieces. I like to keep mine a little chunky. Place in a large mixing bowl and scatter the sea salt over. Give it a gentle mix to ensure the salt is dispersed, then cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

The next day, drain the vegetables, rinse well and drain again. Leave at the sink to drain while you prepare the paste. Grind the fennel, coriander, cumin together finely. Use a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Mix the spices with the cornflour, turmeric and mustard. Add some vinegar and mix until it forms a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Once boiling add the spice paste and simmer for four minutes so the cornflour thickens the sauce.

Pour this fantastically yellow mixture over the vegetables and combine gently. ladle the piccalilli into jars and place the lids on tightly while still warm. Label and leave to mature for a few weeks before tasting. I maintain this always tastes good to me right away though.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer