Kanako's Kitchen

This typical Kyoto recipe is a simple way to make fresh, home-made pickles (what we call “otsukemono” – 漬物 - in Japanese) in as little as 12 hours. It’s great as a “chopstick vacation” – a tiny side dish to contrast with the flavor of the main dishes.

As my mom is from Kyushu, this isn’t something she would normally make at home. However, I remember Senmai-zuke very well from growing up near Kyoto, and I always liked it. The image of Senmai-zuke displayed in front of the pickles stores is something which always reminds me of Kyoto.

Ingredient:

• Turnips – one rather big one
• Salt – one teaspoon
• Rice vinegar – 50 cc
• Sugar – 3 tablespoons

[If you don't have rice vinegar, use 50 cc of apple cider vinegar and mellow it with 4 tablespoons of sugar.]

• Konbu – one 15 cm. long piece
• Dried red peppers – one small piece

Preparation:

1. Peel the turnip and slice it crosswise as thin as possible. (If you have a slicer, use it!)
2. Sprinkle the salt thoroughly over the turnip slices.
3. Leave the turnip in the salt for half an hour. In that time, it will start to “sweat” (give off excess moisture.)
4. Mix the rice vinegar and the sugar, then add the chopped dried red pepper. This is your pickling agent.
5. Clean the dirt off of the Konbu with a wet kitchen towell and slice in thin, long pieces using a pair of scissors.
6. After the 30 minutes are up, wash lightly the turnip to remove the salt and squeeze the slices to remove as much moisture as possible.
7. Place alternate slices of turnip and konbu in layers in a tupperware container.
8. Pour the vinegar-based pickling agent and let it sit in the fridge for at least one night.

click to enlarge

Serve in very small quantities as a side dish. (You can also eat the konbu.)