pickled cabbage

Milo · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 2113 Location: Philadelphia!

At the Chinese restaurant I frequent, they put out 2 dishes as an appetizer: wonton chips with duck sauce, and pickled cabbage. I'm considering ordering a plate full of the pickled cabbage, even though it's not on the menu, because I love it so much. Or, I could just make it myself. It's not spicy like kimchee, it tastes pretty much just like straight up cabbage and vinegar. Could anyone point me in the direction of a recipe? Also, should I consider asking the owner for his recipe? Restaurant owners probably don't give out recipes, do they?
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thora · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 1378 Location: Ontario

Milo, do you think it may have been sauerkraut? My hesitation is that sauerkrat, although it sounds *exactly* like the description you gave, is mostly an element of polish cuisine. I've never had it at a Chinese restaurant.

Well, anyways, here's the link to a wikipedia entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut

I adore sauerkraut! I've never made it myself, though my Oma does fairly often.

knittykat · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 10090 Location: Here & Now

I've had something similar to you Milo, and it's definitely not sauerkraut.

It's a little spicy, isn't it?

They used to put it out at the restaurant where I go but they don't anymore. I am not a cabbage fan but I loved it too!

snoopy · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 3105 Location: SF

You can get pickled cabbage (and lots of other pickled foods, called Tsukemono) in a Japanese or Asian supermarket. I love it! My mom used to make it using a Japanese pickling press like this one., but I'm not sure if she used a recipe or if she did it from memory. I think it involved a lot of salt and rice vinegar.
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scg · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 2236 Location: sesame street

i was just freezing to death and noodling around on google and discovered a potentially good recipe for the pickled cabbage you seek. (bonus--vegetarian!)

i also found this killer video tutorial on making tsukemono with just regular kitchen equipment. the process is *somewhat* similar to making kimchi, without of course the pepper flakes and fermentation part, though. i want to make tsukemono this weekend. or the lightly pickled cabbage above!

--scg
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Teahugger · Posted: Dec 15, 2007 7:41 am Post subject:

Hmm, it sounds like the salad they serve at pizza places in Sweden (yes, pizza places. It's weird, but they do have that salad). The reason why I associate "your" Chinese salad with pizza salad is that when I was at a dim sum restaurant in Singapore, they served a salad that my (Singaporean) co-worker said was traditional for dim sum (? or at least traditionally Chinese). It tasted almost exactly like pizza salad. I'll see if I can find a recipe for you...

***ETA: that salad isn't pickled, though it's possible that the Chinese one is.

Teahugger · Posted: Dec 15, 2007 7:49 am Post subject:

Three recipes that might help:
http://www.christonium.com/culinaryreview/ItemID=11930242806208
http://www.mattryall.net/article.cgi?id=201
http://minareceptsamlingar.blogspot.com/2007/01/pizzasalad.html

aliwa · Joined: 26 Oct 2004 Posts: 2198 Location: Sweden

Teahugger I too thought about the Swedish pizza salad! I think it is so weird eating pizza without it now though :) It tastes so good as well. Aaaah now I want it!
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Sleepyhouse · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7777

knittykat · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 10090 Location: Here & Now

Mmmmm...thanks scg! I'm gonna try that one!

Milo · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 2113 Location: Philadelphia!

Hmm, it was neither sauerkraut nor slaw like. It was green cabbage cut into shapes the size and thickness of chips (crisps), crispy, and vinegar-y tasting. The search continues...

Thanks for the site, SCG! I have a feeling I'm going to be browsing videojug for awhile now...
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meexie · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 5398

I'm pretty sure it's a quick pickle. You cut up the cabbage and then salt it to draw out the water. If you shred the cabbage, 1 lb chinese cabbage tossed with a teaspoon of salt and left to sit for about an hour may be enough. For bigger pieces, like kim-chee size pieces, 1 lb of cabbage and 1/2 cup of salt. Layer the cabbage and salt in a bowl or a glass jar. Add enough water to cover, and put something over it to press it down, like a plate with a jar of water on it. Leave for at least a few hours (I prefer overnight). Drain. Eat a piece - it should be that sort of wilted crunchy. If it is too salty, give it a rinse and taste again.

The recipe I have for sweet-sour quick pickle chinese cabbage uses a dressing of 1 tbs vegetable oil, 2 dried red peppers, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons vinegar (heat the oil and peppers together in a pan, add remaining ingredients, mix well, pour over cabbage while still hot). What you are describing sounds more like it might just get tossed with rice vinegar and maybe a little oil.
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camoli · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 11

I believe the quick pickle that meexie spoke about in the first paragraph is a good suggestion. You can use the Japanese press which Snoopy spoke about. I have one and it makes it easier. It is best to use sea salt or Kosher salt. I used to think that the vinegary taste in pickled cabbage (tsukemono) was from vinegar, but actually it comes from the salt drawing out the moisture from the vegetables. The first time I tried to make the cabbage with vinegar it didn't taste like what I was going for and all you really need is salt.
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