Healthy - Oct 2021 (Sampler)

VINEGAR BRINE PROCESS Kylee Newton, who runs a business in East London creating handmade preserves, explains the basic process of pickling vegetables and fruit: ‘Referring to your individual recipe for quantities, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices in a large, non-reactive pan, keeping any fresh herbs or garlic cloves to one side until the jarring stage. Place over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve and the spices infuse. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then allow the brine to cool slightly (or completely if using more porous produce, such as cucumber). ‘Pack your prepped produce into appropriately sized, clean (or sterilized), cool jars. Try to t in as much as possible without squashing or forcing too tightly, leaving a gap of about 1cm from the top rim. Pour the brine over the fruit or veg. Gently tap out any trapped bubbles, or use a chopstick to manoeuvre the bubbles out, making sure you get out as many as you can (trapped air can encourage fermentation). Top up with brine again so the produce is entirely covered, up to 2-3mm from the very top, and seal with a sterilized dry lid.’ PEA AND MINT PICKLE Makes a 750ml jar 500g fresh peas (podded weight) 350ml cider vinegar 80ml filtered water 30g white sugar 1½ tsp sea salt 1-2 bird’s-eye chillies, roughly chopped 1 tsp black peppercorns 6-8 fresh mint leaves Refer to the Vinegar brine process above for the method. PICKLED PEA FRITTATA Serves 8-10 1½ tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp light olive oil, rapeseed or vegetable oil 2 large onions, diced 200g Pea and mint pickle (see recipe left) 120g mixed fresh herbs (mint, flat-leaf parsley, basil, coriander, chives), roughly chopped 12 large free-range eggs, whisked Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas mark 6, placing a rack in the grill position. Warm the butter and oil in a large non-stick, oven-safe frying pan (about 26-28cm diameter) over a medium heat. Add the onions, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring until they are caramelized, glossy, sticky and sweet. 2 Reduce the heat slightly, add the pickled peas and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir through the herbs and arrange the ingredients equally around the pan. Pour in the whisked eggs and use a wooden spoon to move the ingredients around to distribute everything evenly. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the egg starts to set on the bottom of the frittata. Run a spatula around the edge of the frittata for ease of ipping it out later. 3 Switch the oven to grilling mode and slide the pan onto the rack. Cook with the oven door closed for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is golden brown and it has cooked through. 4 Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then carefully ip the frittata onto a large board or plate. Sandwich another plate on top of the frittata and ip again, so that you have the pretty golden side facing upwards. Slice into 8-10 wedges and serve with a chutney of your choice, if you like. TIP Add some crumbled feta, goats’ cheese or ricotta, or slice some cherry tomatoes in half and gently push into the top of the frittata while it is cooking on the stove top. Extracted from The Modern Preserver’s Kitchen by Kylee Newton (Quadrille, £22) Photography ©Laura Edwards FOOD healthy-magazine.co.uk 75