What is a Caribbean meal without pepper, pepper sauce or some type of pepper condiment? It is a major part of our culinary culture. We all take pride in our pepper sauces however it must be said that Haitian Pikliz is at the top of the list when it comes to spicy condiments.
I love how vibrant-looking and tasty the vegetables are and the heat from the scotch bonnet peppers (my favorite pepper) is AMAZING.
There are many variations to this recipe depending on the region of Haiti. Since my mom is from Jeremie this is the recipe I learned to make:
- ½ cup shredded cabbage
- ½ medium carrot
- ½ cup bell pepper (green, orange, red)
- ¼ white onion
- 3 scotch bonnet peppers
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ( I put ½ teaspoon but realized it was a bit much)
- 5 tablespoons vinegar (see note)
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (you can also use sour orange juice)
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- It’s really a simple recipe to put together. Start off by slicing all the vegetables very thinly, same for the all the other ingredients.
- Place all the sliced ingredients in a large bowl and mix in the salt, pepper, thyme and liquids.
- Note: Add enough vinegar to cover the ingredients in the storage container.
You can serve it immediately (preferably with some griot or any fried food for that matter) or allow it to pickle for a few days before use. I love to sprinkle this on my salads especially when I am dieting! It literally brings the salad to life.
To store the pikliz I like to use a mason jar. Put everything in it, cover and set aside to marinate. The longer it pickles the better the pikliz!
The vinegar will act as a preservative so you don’t have to worry about it going bad if you don’t put it in the fridge. If you do store it in the fridge it can last for months (but will lose some heat)!
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