Midsummer …
the woodland theatre at Kilruddery House’s 17th Century gardens. Could
there be a more perfect setting for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream? A
light drizzle filtered through the woodland canopy and midges snacked on our
ears as Titania and Oberon squabbled and Puck ran
amok with a magic potion.
There was a
smell of crushed grass and wet bark, mothballs and old attics as folk opened
proper, wood-wormy, leather-strapped wicker baskets, quietly popped bubbly, or
unscrewed interesting-looking/smelling/tasting flasks and jars. On that eerie, enchanted
patch of damp grass, people shared… quietly… so as not to break the spell.
One jar that
went home empty was a delicious fennel pickle. Sorry Shakespeare, it stole the
show.
While I’m
not the world’s greatest fan of either pickles or fennel, I can eat this fragrant
crunchy pickle straight from the jar. It goes wonderfully with smoked mackerel pâté,
white or oily fish, and it has been the secret ingredient to lift a potato
salad out of the ordinary.
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| About to get in a bit of a pickle... |
For 1 x
500ml jar of show-stealing pickled fennel you will need…
1 fennel bulb, washed if necessary and trimmed of any
blemishes
1 slice of lemon
1 fat clove of garlic sliced into about three thick slices
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
½ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
350mls white vinegar
150ml cold water
2 tablespoons each of sugar and salt
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| Slice as finely as you can... |
Slice the
fennel bulb as finely as you can then pack it into a wide-mouthed 500ml jar
leaving about 2cm clear at the top. Tuck the lemon, garlic and bay leaf down
the side
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| Pack into a wide-mouthed jar... |
Place the
peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a dry medium saucepan over a
medium heat. When the seeds begin to pop add the rest of the ingredients.
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| Peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds... the supporting actors... |
Simmer until
the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Carefully pour
the hot liquid over the contents of the jar until everything is submerged. Poke with a skewer or chopstick to remove any bubbles of air that have become trapped before
topping up the liquid if necessary. You’ll have a bit of the pickling liquid left over.
Keep it in a non-reactive container and use it to make quick cucumber pickles.
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Get rid of any air bubbles...
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I usually leave the pickle in the fridge for at least three days before using to allow the flavours to develop (Alchemy...) and it will keep for up to a month, covered and refrigerated.
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| Alchemy at work... |