, Step by step

Piccalilli

Our own recipe which is used throughout the company. Great served with honey roast gammon.

Mark Stower, Director of Food and Service.

Preparation Time: 1 day

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Serves: 6

Method

  • Step 1

    Trim the cauliflower into small florets and place into a bowl, along with the chopped onion. Sprinkle with 25g salt and leave to stand for 24 hours. When this is done, rinse in cold water and dry.

  • Step 2

    Peel and deseed the cucumber. Cut into 1 centimetre dice and place into a mixing bowl. Cut the tomato in half, discard the seeds, cut into large dice and add to the bowl. Add the cauliflower and onion, mix together and put to one side.

  • Step 3

    Heat the virgin olive oil in a large casserole pan. Add the silverskin onions and crushed garlic. Cook for 30 seconds without allowing them to colour.

  • Step 4

    Add the diced red pepper, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, sugar, mustard powder and white wine vinegar to the pan. Bring to the boil.

  • Step 5

    To thicken, mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the mixture.

  • Step 6

    Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour this mixture over the vegetables that were prepared earlier and leave to cool.

  • Step 7

    When cooled, season with salt and pepper and keep in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Because Mark’s lovely piccalilli is made from vegetables, this relish will supply some fibre and some nutrients – depending how much you eat of it! But many vitamins, particularly vitamin C, will be destroyed by the pickling process.

A Google search will uncover various claims for the health benefits of vinegar – many of which are totally unfounded. There are all sorts of claims about vinegar and weight loss.

Interestingly, some recent scientific studies have suggested that consuming vinegar may influence the body’s metabolism. There is a suggestion that vinegar and therefore presumably foods pickled in vinegar could help to curb appetite, but much more research is needed.

My advice would be to enjoy the delicious piccalilli but don’t expect it to help you lose weight!

DR JULIET GRAY, COMPANY NUTRITIONIST