Fragrant Wild Chive Pickle: A Sweet, Sour, and Salty Rice Companion
#WildChiveRecipe #WildChivePickle #PickleMaking #SideDishRecipe #SeasonalDish #SpringVegetableDish #AppetiteStimulatingSideDish
Introducing a recipe for fragrant wild chive pickles, boasting a delightful balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors that perfectly complement rice. These pickles are not only an excellent side dish for meals but also pair wonderfully with grilled meats like pork belly. This recipe utilizes any leftover wild chives after enjoying them as wraps for dishes like spicy squid and pork belly stir-fry. The process is simple: boil a basic soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar brine, let it cool, pour it over the wild chives, and let it ferment. Similar to perilla leaf pickles, these offer a harmonious blend of sour, sweet, and salty notes. To prevent them from becoming cloying, the sweetness has been slightly reduced, making them enjoyable for everyone. Measurement guidance using a standard paper cup, as well as ‘dad’s spoon’ (large spoon) and ‘kid’s spoon’ (small spoon), is provided.
Pickle Ingredients- 500g Wild Chives
- 3 cups Soy Sauce (standard paper cup measure)
- 1.5 cups Vinegar (standard paper cup measure)
- 2 cups Sugar (standard paper cup measure)
- 2 Tbsp Chili Seeds (dad’s spoon measure)
- 5 Tbsp Cooking Wine (dad’s spoon measure)
- 1 cup Natural Seasoning Anchovy Broth (standard paper cup measure)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the sweet, sour, and salty soy sauce brine that will define the flavor of your wild chive pickles. In a pot, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili seeds, cooking wine, and anchovy broth. Bring to a boil over high heat until it bubbles vigorously. The brine should not be overwhelmingly salty, but rather a well-balanced mixture of sour, sweet, and salty notes. Adjust the seasoning by adding more sugar for extra sweetness, vinegar for more sourness, or soy sauce to control the saltiness, according to your preference. The cooking wine helps eliminate any gamey odors and softens the strong soy sauce flavor, while the chili seeds not only remove unwanted smells but also contribute a pleasantly spicy aroma and taste.
Step 2
Thoroughly wash the fresh wild chives under running water. After washing, drain them well to remove as much excess water as possible. Residual moisture can shorten the shelf life of the pickles.
Step 3
In a clean container for pickling, place a layer of the washed and drained wild chive leaves at the bottom.
Step 4
Layer the wild chive leaves on top of each other, stacking them neatly. Arranging them all in the same direction will result in a more visually appealing and compact pickle jar.
Step 5
Pour the prepared soy sauce brine, which has been boiled and completely cooled, evenly over the wild chives. Ensure that the chives are well submerged in the brine.
Step 6
Insert a pressing lid onto the wild chives to hold them down. You can use a specialized fermentation lid available for kimchi containers, or alternatively, place sterilized heavy stones, or a full water bottle on top. This method prevents the chives from floating to the surface and ensures the brine penetrates deeply into every layer, leading to delicious pickles. This technique is also useful for pickling other ingredients like chili peppers or perilla leaves.
Step 7
Allow the wild chive pickles to ferment for at least one week, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. After fermentation, the soy sauce will have thoroughly permeated the chives, making them ready to eat. The resulting pickles will have a tangy aroma and the fragrant flavor of wild chives, making them an excellent side dish that enhances your appetite.
Step 8
With longer fermentation, the flavors will deepen further. Serve the finished wild chive pickles on a plate. Wrapping them with plain white rice creates an irresistible ‘rice thief’ dish. Alternatively, they are fantastic served alongside freshly grilled pork belly, cutting through the richness. My version of wild chive pickles strikes a balance between sourness, saltiness, and a hint of sweetness, without being overly sweet, so they can be enjoyed frequently without getting tired of the taste. Unlike some commercially available pickles that can be quite sweet, making them yourself allows you to customize the flavor to your liking. Enjoy making and savoring these delicious wild chive pickles!
