Fukujinzuke (Japanese Red Pickled Vegetables)

Ingredients:

275g daikon radish, peeled, cut it into quarters lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers (about 220 g), peeled to yield a stripe pattern on the outside and sliced thinly
100g lotus root (renkon), boiled until tender, cut into quarters lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 Japanese aubergine (about 130g), peeled, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
1 3cm knob of young ginger, peeled, sliced thinly and julienned
5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba)
Sea salt (weigh your prepared vegetables to calculate the amount to use; you‘ll need 3% of the total vegetable weight; I used 20 g or roughly 2 tbspp)

For the Pickling Solution:
125ml (½ cup) soy sauce
125ml (½ cup) mirin
6 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) (rice vinegar is milder than other kinds of vinegar; if you substitute another type, please adjust the amount)
125ml (½ cup) water
1 piece dried kombu (as a wild forager substitute Laminaria digitata (Oarweed) or Saccharina latissima (Sugar Kelp)) (about 5 x 5 cm)
6 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds

Method:

Note, that for best results you must peel the Japanese aubergine completely as any left-on skin will discolour and the fukujinzuke will not end-up with the correct colour.

You really do need young ginger for this recipe as it's milder than more mature ginger and is much more tender.

Once all the vegetables have been prepared weigh them together (you need about 675g±10g). Scatter over the sea salt (you'll need about 20g) and toss lightly to combine. Set the mixture aside for about 20 minutes so the salt draws the excess moisture from the vegetables.

For the Pickling Solution: Combine the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar (unseasoned), and water in a saucepan. Add in the kombu and sugar then mix well, set over medium heat and bring to a boil.

When the mixture is just at the point of boiling fish out and set aside the kombu (don't discard this as it can be used to prepare Simmered Kombu or Homemade Furikake). Take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.

When the 20 minutes salting are up, turn the vegetables into a large colander then rinse off the excess salt under cold running water. In the meantime, wash and dry the bowl.

Squeeze the drained vegetables to remove more excess water then return to the cleaned bowl.

Roll up 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and cut them into thin julienned strips. Add to the squeezed vegetables in the bowl.

Put the picking solution back on the heat and bring to a boil then immediately pour over the prepared vegetables. Add in the ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and make sure the vegetables are submerged within the liquid. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan, place over medium heat and cook for 30 to 60 seconds. I like to keep my vegetables crunchy, so I usually cook for just 30 seconds.

Drain the vegetables (reserve the liquid) and transfer them back to the bowl. Pour the reserved pickling liquid back into the saucepan, place over low heat and cook for 5-10 minutes to reduce the volume and intensify the flavours.

Divide the vegetables between three 250ml jars (with vinegar-proof lids) then pour over enough pickling solution to cove the vegetables. Secure the lids, allow to cool then store in the refrigerator and allow to marinate over night.

The Fukujinzuke will keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Use a sterile spoon to portion out the Fukujinzuke to prevent the mixture from being contaminated between uses.