Young, fresh ginger, Shin Shoga
Sushi fans prize pickled ginger almost as much as they do the perfect fish it accompanies. The pickled ginger, or gari, is a variety of tsukemono, or Japanese pickle. It is meant to be eaten between bites as a palate refresher, but it is delicious on its own or with a glass of sake. It can also be used to flavor salad dressings or be eaten along with rice as a pickle. There are many recipes for pickled ginger, so try this one and adjust it until you are happy with the results.
Instructions
1. Peel your ginger. Using a mandolin or box grater, or a knife if you're very precise, slice your ginger as thinly as possible. You can also use a vegetable peeler to do this.
2. Combine ginger with salt and cover with ice water. Allow to soak for 1 hour, then drain thoroughly. A salad spinner works very well for this.
3. Combine vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, cloves and chile in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and pour over sliced ginger.
4. Place ginger and liquid in nonreactive containers, either ceramic or plastic. Refrigerate. Keep the container covered. This will make about 2 cups of gari.
Tags: pickled ginger, this Combine, your ginger