MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
Hardly a less threatening vegetable exists for pickling, and hardly a prettier pickle can be made. The orange of the carrots turns a vibrant hue in pickling, and the chili-zested coins can be pinched easily into a mound to give a plate a little dimension. With the flavors of ginger and fresh orange zest in addition, this is new life for an overly familiar vegetable.
For best flavor, make the carrot pickle a day or two in advance. It keeps nicely refrigerated for up to two weeks.
1 pound carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut slightly on the diagonal into 1/16-inch-thick coins
2 teaspoons finely julienned fresh ginger
1 red or green serrano chili or 1 small yellow wax chili, sliced into paper-thin rings, or ½ to ¾ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
¾ cup unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
½ cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 small well-scrubbed orange
1. Pour enough boiling water over the carrots to amply cover them. Let stand for 1 minute, stirring to separate the slices. Drain and immediately plunge the carrots into icy water to chill, then drain again.
2. Combine the ginger, chili, vinegars, sugar, and salt in a non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the carrots, stirring and pushing the slices down into the brine. Remove from the heat.
3. Lightly grate the zest from the orange into the pan, using the small flat holes of a four-sided grater, and stir to combine. Taste and add a bit more zest if you like, taking care not to grate any of the bitter white pith.
4. Transfer the pickle to a storage container and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until cool.
5. For fullest flavor, seal and refrigerate overnight. Serve cool or at room temperature, pinching the carrot coins into a jaunty-looking mound topped with several strands of the pickled ginger and a ring or two of pickled chili.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: For its contrast of taste and crunch, this is the perfect pickle to pair with steamed or baked buns. It is equally at home next to a good corned beef sandwich.
