Yields ½ pint. Recipe can be doubled or quadrupled.
½ cup rice vinegar
Small splash of fish sauce (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 leek bulb or shallot, thinly sliced
½ to 1 whole hot chili pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
1 to 2 leek scapes, to total about 2½ feet in length, sliced thinly on the diagonal
Combine all but the sliced scapes in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the scapes and return to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.
Pour everything into a clean half-pint jar, tightly seal it, and give it a good shake to make sure all the aromatics in the brine are well-distributed. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
We thank The Daily Mail for this recipe.