Monday, May 12, 2008

Pickliz (Haitian Spicy Vinegar)

It's Monday again and over at http://www.thriftyfloridamama.net/ that means it is "Make It yourself Monday". Angie has challenged us all for the month of May to make more stuff ourselves and to skip the fast food and higher-priced convenience foods. Today I want to switch things out a little bit. My contribution for this week is an old Haitian, traditional kitchen staple called Pickliz. This recipe was taken from one of my favorite Haitian cook books entitled "A Taste Of Haiti" by Mirta Yurnet-Thomas.
Pickliz
6 Scotch bonnet peppers
2 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced or shredded onion
1/4 cup greens peas (frozen)
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
8 to 10 peppercorns (optional)
3 cups vinegar

Snip off the stem of the peppers, cut each into 4 pieces, and keep the seeds. Place hot peppers, cabbage, carrots, onion, green peas, cloves, salt, and peppercorns in a quart-size jar, then add the vinegar. Close jar tightly and let sit at least 24-48 hours before using. Once you commence using it, store in the refrigerator. It last for months.

At our house we use pickliz as a side condiment, a compliment to meat, fish and chicken dishes. It is spicy, tangy and really worth a try. Once you've made a batch you will be hooked.
This is for all my Haitian girls out there. This week make your man a batch of homemade griot and serve it with a side of pickliz and banan pese. (for all my non-Haitian girls that's fried pork and double fried plantains). You can thank me later;)

5 comments:

Quiskaeya said...

Let me thank you NOW! I love pickliz! lol I don't eat pork so I don't eat griot but i love tasso (beef). I'll have to bookmark this recipe so I can make this. :)

Micka said...

You are most welcome my dear. How are you doing and how is your little man feeling. Did everything go well with the tonsil surgery. You guys have been in my prayers.

Unknown said...

Ooohh, sounds hot! I just got some scotch bonnet peppers from my mil and some seeds from my bil while we were in Florida last week. My mil made a pidgeon pea soup last week with a sctch bonnet pepper. It was sooo good, but spicy!

Quiskaeya said...

Thank you for your prayers. Most appreciated. Lil Man is getting better day by day. Still has pain on and off but not as bad as before. How are you and the family? Yes dear, I am in Florida too. Small world indeed!

Will you teach the kids over the summer? I'm looking for a summer homeschooling program for Lil Man and wanted to see if you had any recommendations.

Micka said...

Ana I will Look into that for you and get back to you soon.
Glad to here that lili man is getting better.