Name: Quick Thai Pickled Cabbage
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Ingredients: ½ small head napa cabbage , quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups); 2 teaspoons canning and pickling salt; ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons shredded fresh Thai basil; 2 teaspoons minced lemon grass; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin; 1 garlic clove , minced; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Why This Recipe Works

Ready in less than 2 hours, it makes an easy starter or accompaniment to a meal; it is particularly delicious with grilled fish, and is great for adding texture and fragrance to a rice bowl or noodle dish. We chose napa cabbage over other varieties for its supple, juicy texture and its clean, fresh flavor. After experimenting with a variety of shapes, we settled on 1-inch pieces of cabbage—any smaller and our pickles seemed more like slaw, any larger and they seemed unruly. We chose rice vinegar as the base of our pickling brine; its clean, mild profile was a perfect foundation on which to carefully balance layers of exquisite aromas. Before adding the cabbage to the brine, we tossed it in salt to help soften and season it while drawing out moisture that would otherwise dilute the brine. Rinsing the salted cabbage before tossing it with the vinegar helped extend the pickles' shelf life. Using unseasoned rice vinegar, rather than the seasoned rice vinegar we call for in our other quick pickles, prevents the pickled cabbage from tasting too salty. We added just a bit of sugar to the brine to balance the vinegar's acidity and bring out the sweetness of the aromatics. Fresh ginger, garlic, and jalapeño chile served as a trinity of bright, spicy elements. We incorporated lemon grass—with its complex aroma—and found that if we minced it very fine, its fibrous texture was softened by the brine. Thinly sliced Thai basil added herbaceousness, and its green color stayed true for days.

Before You Begin

You can substitute Italian basil if necessary; however, its color will turn brown quickly. This pickled cabbage cannot be processed for long-term storage.

Instructions

Toss cabbage and salt together in large bowl. Let cabbage sit at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Transfer cabbage to colander and rinse with cold water. Drain cabbage well, gently squeeze to remove excess liquid, then pat dry with clean towels.

Whisk vinegar, basil, lemon grass, sugar, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger together in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, toss to combine, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve. (Pickled cabbage can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; cabbage will turn limp and gray after 3 days.)