Some 20 years ago, I would occasionally visit a friend in Manly. Often, he and I had a bite to eat in a small, hole-in-the-wall Chinese cafe in an arcade just off The Corso. No matter what else we ordered, it would always take second place to our favourite dish of Chinese cabbage.
1 small Chinese cabbage
1 medium-sized daikon (white radish)
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of roasted Sichuan peppercorns
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped coriander
Remove the tough outer leaves of a small Chinese cabbage and cut it crosswise at 2cm intervals. Wash and dry well and place in a large bowl. Peel a medium-sized daikon (white radish), cut it lengthways down the middle and slice each half across in thin half-moons. Add it to the cabbage and toss well with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of roasted and crushed Sichuan peppercorns. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours, tossing every 30 minutes.
Just before serving, drain the liquid, toss with 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and 1/2 cup chopped coriander.
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