Pikliz a Spicy Addition to Haitian Diets

Pikliz is a popular and traditional side-dish served as a salad, as part of a marinade, or as a flavor-enhancer to prepared Haitian foods. A very hot brew of several types of peppers and a sliced medley of vegetables pickled in vinegar, the heat level can be adjusted by adding more or less of Scotch bonnet peppers.

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To make Pikliz, prepare a large enough quantity (50 servings) you can use over a several-month period. For 50 servings you will need:

• 6 Scotch bonnet peppers
• 2 cups of slivered or shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup of slivered or shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup slivered or shredded onion
• 1/4 cup of frozen peas
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt (if you want)
• 8-10 peppercorns
• 3 cups of white vinegar

Remove stems of Scotch bonnet and peppers and cut into 4 pieces. Don't throw out the seeds unless you want less heat. Put all ingredients into a quart-mason jar and fill it with vinegar. Seal and let steep for one to two days before usage.

You can serve Pikliz as a soup, sauce, or dribble it on meat or seafood. Keep Pikliz in the fridge and use it whenever you want to spice up your meals.

This Pikliz recipe was developed by Puerto Rican lawyer, Mirta Yurnet-Thomas, whose husband is Haitian. In the U.S. she couldn't locate a Haitian cookbook so she wrote one herself, including the Pikliz recipe. The book, "A Taste of Haiti", was published in 2003.

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