Magazine

Pick, preserve and serve

Preserves don’t have to be preserved forever. Here is our selection of quick pickles.

PICKLED FENNEL

Makes 500ml

2 cups white wine vinegar
1½ cups white sugar
1 tbsp pickling spice (found in the
spice aisle at your supermarket)
1 bay leaf
1 large bulb of fennel
2 sprigs of fennel tips
1 large clean sterile jar

In a medium saucepan, place white wine vinegar, sugar and pickling spice and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then turn off heat. Add bay leaf and set aside. Wash fennel and peel off one outer layer, making sure it is clean between layers. Slice off the bottom core, then thinly slice to about a 3mm thickness – the thinner the better. Once sliced, immediately pack into a clean, sterilized jar with the fennel tips. Using a sieve, pour the warm vinegar and sugar mixture into the jar, making sure to cover the fennel right to the top. Discard the spices and seal at once. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, and use as a pickled condiment.

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND PICKLED FENNEL SALAD

Serves 4

1 pomegranate
2 large rounds of Italian
buffalo mozzarella
3 tbsp pickled fennel (see above)
2 tbsp fresh fennel tips
Micro herbs such as ruby radish
or pea shoots
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Slice pomegranate in half and squeeze out the seeds into a bowl. Pick out any membranes that fall out. Tear the mozzarella into big chunks and lay the pieces on a platter. Add the pickled fennel, as well as a sprinkle of the pickling juice. Sprinkle over fennel tips, micro herbs and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper and serve.

Recipes and Styling Shaye Woolford 
Photography and Styling Greta Kenyon

 

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