Every spring and fall , I mature a beautiful bed ofkomatsuna(Brassica rapa var . perviridis ) , a type of Nipponese mustard putting surface refer to turnip and rapini . It ’s the fastest growing special K in my garden ( ready to harvest as baby greens within three calendar week , to the full mature by five weeks ) , and its spicy , mustardy leaves can be pick at any stage .
I use them as salad greens while waiting for my lettuce to grow , and as stir - fry greens when my bok choy is n’t quite quick yet . They ’re specially good in soup , where the stems become tippy and the leaves nicely wilt , but not too soggy the way prickly-seeded spinach can get . I love them in Asian soup , such as udon , ramen , or a hearty oxtail soup with radish and carrots . And if you let the foliage grow enceinte , they make a good wrap for weft as well .
I sometimes forget how tight they grow , so envisage my surprise when — after permit my married man take tutelage of the garden for a hebdomad while I caught up on workplace — I walked outside and saw the komatsuna nearly exploding out of their bed ( the other clobber exploding behind the komatsuna is my rhubarb industrial plant — only one , I might bring ! ) .
Since there was no way I could eat that many salad , stir - minor and soups all at once , I settle to put them up in one big batch of Vietnamese pickled leaf mustard greens , orcải chuaas it ’s called .
Cải chuais one of the traditional hole in Vietnamese culture , the same wayđồ chuais . I in reality grow up eat on more of the pickle mustard because it ’s the gross accompaniment to my family ’s many salty home - make dishes , likecá kho tộ(braised and caramelized catfish in a clay flowerpot ) andthịt ko(braised and caramelized pork abdomen with hard - seethe ball ) . These are dishes you typically wo n’t discover on a Vietnamese restaurant card , but they ’re made in every Vietnamese home .
Butcải chuais not just a Vietnamese thing . The spicy and sour flavor works well with almost any rich and square dish , such as fried fish , grill sausage , Cajun - style seafood , meatballs and rice , or even a pungent Korean or Chinese noodle soup ( I like to saute mycải chuawith garlic and gingerroot before adding it as a topping ; it give the whole soup a tangy - cape and spiciness you wo n’t get from other fixings ) .
Unlikeđồ chua , which is pickle in acetum , cải chuais typically fermented over a menstruation of week . As you learned from myruby krautrecipe , lacto - fermented foods are extremely good on their own ; then you add together in the Indian mustard oil from komatsuna ( or any mustard green ) , and you have quite a nutritional powerhouse . ( larn about Indian mustard oils from mynasturtium pestopost , and about mustard green in general fromWorld ’s Healthiest Foods . )
Vietnamese Pickled Mustard Greens (Cải Chua)
make 2 quarts
Ingredients
For the Vegetables2 1/2 pounds mustard greens4 stalks of green onions1 1/2 tablespoon pickling salt4 Thai raspberry ’s optic chilli ( or 2 serrano capsicum )
For the Brine ( Optional)2 cups water1 tablespoon pickle table salt
Making Your Vietnamese Pickled Mustard Greens (Cải Chua)
I use komatsuna in this formula , but you could utilise any mustard green you have on hand .
Thoroughly slipstream , dry , and chop the Green into bite - sized constituent . I care to de - stem the komatsuna and cut the stem into 1 - column inch piece , then practice achiffonadetechnique to cut the leaves into long thread .
Chop the unripe onion plant into 2 - inch pieces .
In a very turgid trough , combine the common , onion and salt , and toss to equally parcel out all the table salt . allow the veggie ride for 20 to 30 minutes while the salt draws out wet .
Knead the veggies with your hands until the greens have wilted and the mass is decoct to one-half . There should be a puddle of liquid in the bottom of the bowl .
break launch the chiles in half lengthwise . Fill the jounce about two - thirds of the path with adequate sum of money of green and Republic of Chile . Tamp down the veggies with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid state as you’re able to .
If your veg are not fully submerge in their own juices , you’re able to top them off with brine . Bring water and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to a furuncle , and stir until the salt is dissolved . Let the brine coolheaded , then pour it into your jar until the veggies are just covered ( they will continue to discharge liquidity as they work , so you do n’t desire to overfill the jars ) .
Run a chopstick or the end of a prospicient spoon around the jars to release any immobilize melody pockets . You need to check that the veggie are completely shroud in liquid .
Line the jars with plastic postal code - top bags and press down on the veggies . satiate the baggies with a little water ( or a rock ‘n’ roll ) to keep them weighted . The baggies should completely reach out to the surface of the veggies so that no part is exposed to line .
Seal the jars loosely with lids and store them at room temperature out of direct sunshine . Every 24-hour interval or so , check the jars to ensure the veggies are still submerged , iron down on them with a spoon as postulate to let go of more liquid . As long as the liquidness stays above the veggies , you wo n’t see any mold .
As the green start to ferment , they ’ll turn a lovely tincture of European olive tree . Properly fermented mustard putting surface keep on their mustardy sharpness , but have a pleasantly sour taste and reek like pickles … gamy pickles ! If they smack off in any way ( yeasty , rotten , or not very pickle - like ) , chuck them and start over .
you could taste thecải chuaafter one calendar week to approximate the amount of sourness and spiciness , but typically it wo n’t be ready for two to three weeks . The warmer your room is , the faster it ’ll ferment .
Once thecải chuahas soured to your liking , remove the baggies , reseal with lids , and refrigerate . It will keep for a farsighted , tenacious time — much longer than you ’ll ask before you finish it all !
Cải chuais one of the traditional pickles in Vietnamese refinement , the same wayđồ chuais . I really grew up run through more of the pickled mustard because it ’s the perfect accompaniment to my family ’s many piquant home - cook dish , likecá kho tộ(braised and caramelized catfish in a Lucius DuBignon Clay potful ) andthịt ko(braised and caramelize porc abdomen with firmly - boil bollock ) .
Instructions
Notes
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