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I’m not sure where this relish originally came from; unlike the name implies, I don’t think there’s any connection with Piccadilly in London. I had it for the first time this summer at a real dive of a restaurant, on top of a steak sandwich. It was the best condiment I had ever eaten, and I was immediately enthralled. Of course they didn’t give me the recipe (and the girl behind the counter seemed to think I was a little nuts for even wanting a recipe for relish), so I was on a quest.
I thought I was in luck because the August 2009 edition of Cooking Light magazine featured a recipe for Tomato Chow-Chow (I forgot to mention, Picadilly can also be called Picadilli, Chow-Chow, or Millionaire’s Relish). The only problem was that CL’s version of Chow-Chow didn’t even remotely resemble (in appearance or ingredients) the Picadilly I had eaten and fallen in love with. So I continued my mission online and after looking at as many Picadilly recipes as I could find (this is a surprisingly uncommon recipe), I came up with what I think is a pretty close match to the original relish I had eaten.
This really is the king of all condiments, since it combines any and every condiment you could ever want. Do you like ketchup and mustard? Not a problem, it’s got tomatoes and mustard powder. Maybe you prefer sautéed pepper and onions? Don’t worry, they’re in there too! Or maybe you like a good sauerkraut? That’s where cabbage and vinegar come in. Or maybe you fancy something with a kick? That’s what the jalapeno is for! (Oh yes, you will fall in love with this relish!)
If you’re thinking, that’s great, but just how often will I actually use this super-relish?, wonder no further! Take a look at the pictures below to see a few of my favorite ways to use it.
A Note on the Cooking Time: I’ve seen many variations in cooking time for this recipe. Some recipes call for not cooking the veggies at all, but just boiling the vinegar with the other ingredients and pouring that on the veggies. Other recipes I’ve seen call for cooking the veggies for 30 to 45 minutes. I cooked it for 45 until it had a sauerkraut-like consistency, and looked exactly like the relish I had first eaten at that restaurant.
Picadilly Relish
(Yield: 2 cups)
2 tomatoes (red or green), chopped
2 ½ c chopped cabbage (red or green)
2/3 c thinly sliced celery (I use the leafy tops too)
1 medium bell pepper (red or green), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 TB kosher salt
1 c apple cider vinegar
About 1/3 c brown sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like your relish)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
¾ tsp celery seed, ground into a powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp allspice
2 cloves (or a pinch of ground cloves)
Combine all veggies with salt and let them sit covered overnight; rinse the veggies with cold water and drain. In a saucepot, combine the veggies with the remaining ingredients; bring the relish to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and let it cook for 10 to 45 minutes (depending on the consistency you like your relish; I like to let almost all the liquid evaporate out so that it cooks down to sauerkraut-like consistency), stirring occasionally. Remove the cloves. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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I had an Aunt that used to make this and keep in canning jars in their basement. Used it mostly on meat dishes like Moose, Caribou, and Elk. Sadly the recipe went with her when she passed. This is the closest thing I have found that seems close to what she made. I definitely want to give it a try!
This stuff is kick-but good. I just made some last weekend and was wondering what else it would pair well with. Thanks for the great ideas!
Dottie, Thanks so much, I’m so glad you like it! It’s such a versatile condiment, it’s great with hot dogs, sausage, hamburgers, or just about anything else you grill up (I love it with grilled chicken breasts!). It’s also a great way to dress up fried eggs and turkey sandwiches, and like I mentioned in the post, I’ve even topped mac and cheese with it. It has a sweet/sour/savory/spicy flavor profile (similar to a chutney), and I think it goes well on a cheese platter. I hope this helps!
Thanks for the reply. Another thing I just tried it with and it was absolutely awesome is cream cheese on home made cheese crackers. O M G!
Actually, Picadilly Relish (Mustard Pickles) was a hugely popular item back in the ’70’s – Marks & Spencer sold this English product. The closest is the Heyward Picalilly – in Sault Ontario a store ‘Just British’ sells it.
My partner who luved this stuff swears it’s the closest to it.
this looks awesome and its like a universal relish, you can use it on a sandwich, pasta and almost everything you can think of..
OMG, what a versatile and mouth-watering condiment. You got me with the combo of the runny egg! ;-)
cool! i love how versatile it is! that sausage looks mighty tasty. i might have to try this, i looove relishes and sauerkraut and horseradish, so this seems like it would be right up my alley!
at first when i saw the recipe, i was like: what would i use relish for. but thankfully, you showed so many ways to use it – love a good dish that can be used in so many different ways!
As delicious as the relish sounds, I really enjoyed the photo’s of what you put it on!! :)
That looks absolutely delicious Faith! I can definitely see why you asked for the recipe. I sometimes get odd looks when I ask people at length about food. It’s like they never thought that it would be of interest to someone but to me of course it is! :)
hand me over some of that Picadilly Relish on a Gardenburger please! ;) hehe sound delish faith
cheers!
This relish is a gorgeous garnet color! You’ve used it in a lot of great ways that I would never have thought of! Nice!
You really do love this!! I’m convinced! Such delicious eats!
Millionaire relish. That sound fine to me. I needed to find something besides salsa to flavor up my meals. This looks perfect. I don’t have all the ingredients but I’ll mix up a similar version tomorrow. Mine will probably be green just because I’m missing all the red ingredients. I have green cabbage vs red but it should taste good. Thanks for the rich recipe.
This looks like a really yummy relish. I am very interested in canning but my constant house moving is driving me mad. I had to give away so much jam I made last year and ended up witth the store-bought ones after moving (from one city to another). :(
This recipe looks really good! My boyfriend has been on a relish, pickle, sauerkraut kick so I’m sure he will appreciate this:)
I’ve never heard of picadilly relish. I’m sure that I would love it based on the ingredients list. I really like all of the ways that you have shown to use it. They all look delicious!
Yum! I actually just spent my Sunday morning canning red onion jam, I guess that next weekend I’ll have to try this… it seems like the kind of condiment that is good on everything!
I’ve never had this, and I’m going to change that.
When I saw the name, I laughed and thought of piccalilli- a relish my grandmother used to make. Sometimes she made it with tomatoes, other times she used other veggies. It was delicious. I remember the best thing I liked it with was an open face broiled cheese sandwich. Your Picadilly Relish would work really well with cheese too.
This looks great. I love it when you paired it with the blue cheese on cracker. I bet its delicious.