The sour crispness of red cabbage makes it a good ingredient for a relish. Something stirring—hot, sharp, sour, bright—to introduce to a gamey pâté or a wedge of pork pie with softly collapsing pastry. Not normally given to making pickles and chutneys, I find this startling relish manageable without feeling I am going too far down the preserving route.

　　

Ingredients

boiling water – 4 tablespoons

　　tamarind pulp – 2 tablespoons

　　carrots – 9 ounces (250g)

　　red cabbage – 9 ounces (250g)

　　fresh ginger – 2 1/2 ounces (75g)

　　sea salt – 4 teaspoons

　　palm sugar (jaggery) or brown sugar – 2 teaspoons

　　hot chiles – 2, shredded

　　nam pla (Thai fish sauce) – a tablespoon

　　rice vinegar – 2/3 cup (150ml)

　　water – 2/3 cup (150ml)

　　

Step 1

Pour the boiling water over the tamarind pulp (you can find it at Asian markets and some supermarkets). Let sit a few minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the pulp and keep the tamarind water.

　　

Step 2

Finely shred the carrots, red cabbage, and ginger. Put them in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of the sea salt and the reserved tamarind water and let sit overnight. Drain off the liquid and add the palm sugar, the shredded hot chiles, the remaining salt, the Thai fish sauce, rice vinegar, and water. Mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge. You can use it within a day or two, though it will keep for up to a week; just keep turning the jar over from time to time.

　　Tender