Salt Preserved Dill Food

DILL PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Cut the pickling or ridged cucumbers into sticks or slices. Layer with the coarse crystal sea salt in a large bowl, cover and leave overnight. Drain away the brine, then rinse.
• To make the pickling vinegar, put the whole spices in a medium saucepan. Toast over a low heat until they begin to smell aromatic. Add the dried chilli flakes last, as these can easily catch. Add the bay, pour in all of the vinegar and sugar, let it dissolve, and bring to a simmer. Add the dill sprigs.
• Pack the cucumber into jars, pour over the hot vinegar and seal. Ready to eat in 2 weeks, or longer, if you like.

SALT-PRESERVED DILL

Steps:

• The above quantity is illustrative - use however much fresh dill you have, weigh it after cleaning it, and then weigh out 20% of that in salt. If you are using a kilo of dill, you would use 200 g of salt, for example.
• Wash the dill and allow it to dry thoroughly - I placed the stems on a wire rack overnight.
• Pluck off the fronds and very tender stems, discarding the rest. Weigh it at this point.
• In a clear plastic container with a plastic lid (I used a mayo jar), layer the dill and the salt, tamping down the dill gently as you layer it. Be sure to use all of the salt, as this is what will prevent bacterial growth.
• Do not fill the jar to the top, leave an inch or so between the dill and the lid.
• Store in the refrigerator.
• Refresh the dill before using by rinsing in tepid water.

SALT COD WITH ONIONS, WHITE WINE AND CABBAGE

Steps:

• If using salt-cod, cut into 4 pieces and reconstitute as described in the Introduction; don't drain or dry the fish when done.
• If using fresh fish (4 steaks), rinse, lightly salt, and leave in a colander for 1-2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium-size (at least 10-12 inch diameter) frying pan, warm up the olive oil, then add the onions to sautee for about 30 minutes; you want golden, not brown, and soft; this is a basic cebollata (see Intro).
• Keep the cebollata warm (lowest stove top setting).
• Prepare the cabbage by trimming and removing four of the largest and most perfect outside leaves; cut out the thick, stiff stem at the base of each leaf.
• Use a heavy knife to flatten the leaves and make them more pliable.
• Shred the heart of the cabbage and set it aside for now.
• Wrap each of the 4 pieces of fish in a cabbage leaf.
• Lay the wrapped fish on a baking tray, put in the oven, and bake for 20-30 minutes, "until the wrappers are as dry and brown as tobacco leaves".
• While the fish are cooking, prepare the potatoes as follows:.
• Put a medium-sized covered pan (big enough to hold the potatoes and the shredded cabbage) on the stove top and put in the potatoes.
• Add the wine and enough water to cover and cook (medium heat) for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the cover, add the shredded cabbage, and cover tightly to let the cabbage steam (turn up the heat a bit if necessary).
• Cook until the potatoes are tender, probably a total of 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the potatoes and cabbage with a slotted spoon to your serving dish.
• Add the cooking juices from the potato/cabbage pot into the cebollata in the frying pan, taste and season, then increase the heat to reduce the liquid until you have a thick rich sauce.
• Pour the sauce over the potato and cabbage base.
• Remove the fish from the oven, place them on the potato and cabbage base and open the wrappers.
• Optionally, garnish with parsley and piri piri.
• Enjoy!