It’s a month before Yule and my thoughts have turned, unsurprisingly enough, to the festive table. Now I must confess, I’m not usually a fan of pickled onions – their sharp onion flavour and the acid tang of vinegar has never really been my thing. However by using the milder shallots and cider vinegar, along with the aniseed, these have a sweet and sour flavour that balances really nicely. Plus, even if you’re a complete novice, this recipe is incredibly easy; you just have to remember to start it the day before and give them 3-4 weeks to mature. If you can resist opening the jar before then, the rewards are worth it, and these go brilliantly with a festive cheeseboard, cold cuts, or even as part of a Ploughman’s lunch if you can hide a jar for the summer!
I actually found this recipe on the Lavender & Lovage website, and as I am quite the fan of Karen’s I will link to the original here, as she not only has much better pictures, she also gives fantastic tips on curating a cheeseboard, something I love to do whether it is Yuletide or not, so please do check her out. You’re going to get roughly 4 x 450ml jars from this recipe, and they make nice gifts as well.
Festive Pickled Shallots
Ingredients
- 1 kg shallots
- 150 g sea salt
- 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 10 whole star anise
- 700 ml cider vinegar
- 100 g light brown sigar
Instructions
- The day before you start pickling, soak the shallots in boiling water and allow them to cool in the water before skinning then and trimming the roots. Cut any large ones in half.
- Mix the sea salt with 300ml of boiling water and stir until the salt is dissolved. Add 1 litre of cold water, then add the shallots to the bowl and leave them overnight.
- The next day, drain the shallots, rinse them thoroughly, and pack them into sterilised jars.
- Add the whole peppercorns and spices to a pan with the vinegar and sugar, and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then pour the hot spiced vinegar over the shallots.
- Seal the jars immediately and store in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks to allow the flavours to mature. Will keep unopened for up to 2 years.