THIS RECIPE IS MY INTERPRETATION OF THE FRESH pickles often served alongside entrées at Vietnamese restaurants. After I made them, I discovered that they are equally good tucked inside a homemade taco or stacked inside a turkey sandwich. I will often find myself eating these mindlessly from the jar, in those moments while I ponder the contents of our refrigerator and hope that dinner inspiration will suddenly strike. If you’ve never come across daikon radish before, it can typically be found in the produce section of your local Asian grocery store.
1 pound/455 g carrots
1 pound/455 g young daikon radish
1½ cups/360 ml distilled white vinegar
¾ cup/150 g granulated sugar
3 tablespoons pickling salt
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 whole star anise
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Using a mandoline or food processor with the slicing blade, slice the carrots and daikon radish into paper-thin rounds and set aside.
Combine the vinegar, 1½ cups/360 ml water, sugar, salt, and ground ginger in a pot and bring the brine to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining spices in a small bowl and stir to blend. Add the spice blend to the sterilized jars, distributing evenly.
Once the brine has come to a boil, add the sliced vegetables to the brine in the pot. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
Using tongs, add the vegetables to the jars. Slowly pour the hot brine over the vegetables in each jar, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes (see page 11).
Because they’re so thinly sliced, these pickles don’t require any curing time and can be eaten immediately.