Kyoto Turnip Pickle (千枚漬け, Senmaizuke)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Mandoline or usuba knife
• •Nonreactive bowl or glass container
• •Plate and light weight for pressing
• •Parchment or plastic wrap

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the turnip

   Choose a heavy winter Shōgoin kabu if you can find one, with taut white skin and no spongy give at the stem end. Sourcing comes first here. A tired turnip makes a tired pickle, and no vinegar will rescue it.

2. 2

   Slice thin sheets

   Peel the turnip thickly enough to remove the fibrous outer layer, then slice it into very thin rounds, about 1 to 2mm thick. Use a mandoline if that gives you even slices. Evenness is the point, because thick pieces stay raw and stubborn while thin ones become translucent and tender.

   If your turnip is too large for the mandoline, cut it into halves or quarters. You lose the grand round sheets, but you keep the dish's character if the slices stay thin and clean.
3. 3

   Salt and weight

   Layer the turnip slices in a nonreactive bowl, sprinkling the salt between layers. Set a plate directly on the surface and add a weight. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, until the slices bend softly and a clear pool of water has gathered. The salt is drawing out excess water now so the vinegar can season the turnip later instead of being diluted by it.

4. 4

   Rinse and press

   Drain the turnip, then rinse briefly under cold water to remove surface salt. Press the slices gently between your palms or in a clean towel until damp but not crushed. Don't wring them hard. You want flexible sheets, not bruised pulp.

5. 5

   Make the brine

   Warm the rice vinegar, sugar, mirin, and usukuchi shōyu just enough to dissolve the sugar, then let the brine cool completely. Cooling matters because hot brine would cook the turnip's surface and dull its pale, clean bite. Taste it: it should be sweet-tart and bright, not syrupy.

6. 6

   Layer with konbu

   In a clean nonreactive container, layer the turnip slices with strips of konbu and a few chile rings if using. Pour the cooled brine over the top. The konbu gives body and quiet depth, and the chile adds only a small edge. This is a pale pickle, not a shouting one.

7. 7

   Weight overnight

   Press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap onto the surface, set a plate on top, and add a light weight. Refrigerate overnight, 12 to 24 hours. The slices are ready when they look faintly translucent, bend without cracking, and carry a clean sweet-sour fragrance from the vinegar and konbu.

8. 8

   Serve restrained

   Lift out a few slices, fold or overlap them loosely, and serve with a strip of the softened konbu. Keep the portion small. Tsukemono are there to sharpen the meal, not take over the tray.

Chef Tips

• •Shōgoin kabu is the real vegetable for this pickle. If you cannot find it, use the freshest large white turnip available and say plainly what you've done. Small hakurei turnips make a good pickle, but not the same broad Kyoto sheets.
• •A benriner or other Japanese mandoline is a sensible stand-in for the usuba knife. Use the guard. A thousand sheets are less charming if one of them is you.
• •Use rice vinegar, not a sharp Western vinegar. Senmaizuke should be gently sweet and clear, with the konbu rounding the edges.
• •The pickle is best after one day and keeps about five days refrigerated. After that the turnip softens and the brightness fades.

Advance Preparation

• •Senmaizuke should be made at least one day ahead so the turnip can turn translucent and take in the konbu-vinegar brine.
• •It keeps refrigerated for about five days in its brine. Use clean chopsticks each time so the pickle stays clear and fresh.
• •The konbu can be cut into strips ahead of time and kept dry in a sealed container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)