Haitian Pikliz

From the very first time I tasted PIKLIZ at the local Haitian eatery, I fell in love. We’d go back on Friday nights, for grio (fried pork) & extra pikliz, mmm mmm mmm.  This side condiment quickly became an addition to my everything and anything on my plate.

What is Pikliz?  It’s a cross between the American relish chow-chow and the Italian giardiniera, It has the fiery heat of kim chee and the appearance of coleslaw. The crunchy salad is a combination of cabbage, carrots; chilies or hot peppers all shredded and soaked in vinegar to make a relish. The flavored vinegar from the pikliz is often used in marinades or to give dishes a spicy sour kick.

Its all start with the cabbage, which is hearty and very affordable, onions, hot peppers and carrots, then everything gets shredded and placed in a jar, vinegar is the marring source that brings everything together, and when placed in the refrigerator it can last up to a month.

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, thinly shredded

1/2 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrots

1/4 cup thinly sliced or shredded onions

6 Scotch bonnet peppers

4 whole cloves

1 teaspoon salt

8 to 10 peppercorns ( optional )

3 cups vinegar

Method

Shred the carrots and cabbage, slice the onions & peppers
Add everything including salt and peppercorns to a jar
Pour in enough vinegar to cover the vegetables, tamping them down, close jar tightly.

Store the pikliz in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
It will keep in the refrigerator for a month or two