148 pages! BIGGEST ISSUE EVER A little slice of foo die heaven Why did the fungi There leave wasn t the party? mushroom! NO.68 AUTUMN 2017 SUNDAY BEST! FINd YOUR dream ROAST GO for the ChOp! Where to find the mightiest meat THE MOULD AND THE BEAUTIFUL!BUMPER BUNDLE! FERMENTED FOODS crumbsmag.com GOLd ARE HAVING A MOMENT YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT! delicious & WHY CHANTERELL ES ARE PRETT Y F L Y FO R A FUNGI STREE T SMART IS BACK! hot HERE's HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED OR NOT? NEw INTERIOR TRENDs (AND WHAT s SO LAsT YEAR) WE GET ThE word FROM ThE PROs! 12 EpIc REcIpES FROM THE REGION'S BEST CHEFs 3 where sold
CULTURE CLUB WITH WINTER ON THE HORIZON AND A CULINARY DRY SPELL (ALBEIT A PRETTY SHORT AND MANAGEABLE ONE IN THIS COUNTRY) IN THE DISTANCE, WE SENT JESSICA CARTER ON A FERMENTATION COURSE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS RATHER CLEVER PRESERVATION METHOD... 91 CRUMBSMAG.COM
Like with clothes, music and any other sphere that sees trends come and go like they were caught in revolving doors, the food scene is often shaped by different movements. And again, as with other fashions, they re rarely brand new. Fermentation has been described as a trend in the food world for some time now, getting more and more air time on cookery shows, restaurant menus and, of course, in rags just like this one. The thing is, though, that while its popularity has seen it brought to the fore, there are people around the world who have never stopped making and eating fermented foods. Including here in the UK, even if we don t think about it when we tuck in. Yoghurt, beer and sourdough bread are, of course, all examples of popular fermented produce. Fermentation itself dates back, it s thought, to thousands of years BC. So: old news, right? Before we were able to cultivate and import fruit and veg all year round, people would preserve and ferment their seasonal gluts, to make them last into the less hospitable months, when very little would grow. Although it s remained common practice in some countries, in the UK most types of fermenting have become a bit of a lost skill. Trained biologist Lucie Cousins is one of the most obvious people to talk to about this topic; having started Bath Culture House last year, she makes everything from kombucha to tempeh and sauerkraut, and runs courses at Demuth s Cookery School in Bath on the subject one of which we went along to. Lucie first got properly acquainted with foodie bacteria whle working as a cheesemaker, where she was producing mouldripened cheeses. She learned how to maintain bacterial cheese cultures and grow moulds on Camembert and Brie. Fermentation is a metabolic process in which an organism (yeast or bacteria) converts a carbohydrate (such as starch or sugar) into an alcohol or an acid, Lucie says. Yeast performs fermentation to obtain energy by converting sugar into alcohol, while bacteria perform fermentation by converting carbohydrates into lactic acid. More simply, fermentation is the breakdown of glucose to form alcohol and carbon dioxide. I see it as a pre-digestion process, where a large complex carbohydrate is broken down into its smaller parts, therefore aiding our digestion of it, and allowing the nutrients to be taken up into our bodies more readily. Of course, it s health benefits like this that have no doubt helped fermented foods to shimmy into the spotlight in this age of rising awareness of food and wellbeing. The action of breaking down carbohydrates and pre-digesting the foods prior to eating makes it easier for our bodies to absorb nutrients and food, says Lucie. The bacteria and yeasts which are present in fermented foods are also beneficial to our digestive system, which is often historically referred to as our second brain. A happy stomach equals happy mental wellbeing. As we consume these bacteria and yeasts, we improve our gut flora (I see it as tending a lawn within our digestive system, maintaining good bacteria and yeast rather than bad and toxic bacteria). These good bacteria and yeast that live in our guts once again aid digestion within our bodies, helping us take up nutrients, remove toxins, prevent disease, improve our immune system health, and more. Geeky fact: there are more microbes in your body than cells; our gut contains around 100 trillion microorganisms! 92 CRUMBSMAG.COM
(There you go, folks. You ve probably learnt something new for the day now so you can put your feet up and relax.) The process of fermentation in foods increases the amount of B vitamins, folic acid, choline and glutathione. B vitamins are important for brain function, energy and heart health; folic acid benefits the brain and many systems within the body; choline helps the body regenerate cells; and glutathione is an antioxidant. So, have we talked fermented foods up enough now that we re all totally sold, and can move on to the subject of mould? Cause that s where we re heading... During the course, Lucie brings out a block of tempeh to marinate and cook. Tempeh is a soya bean product that s basically bound together with mould that s been left to grow around the beans. (Stay with us.) The process is very similar to fermentation, involving yeast and bacteria, though rather than using wild ferments and cultures found on the outside of fruits and cabbages, as we would with sauerkraut and kimchi, the mould is introduced as a culture: R. oligosporus. This mould is activated when added to soya beans and germinates, growing around the soya beans to create a mycelium network (which is very similar to the growth of white mould on a Camembert or Brie). The mould, as it grows, releases enzymes which then pre-digests the basic nutrients of the soya bean. The rhizopus moulds produce an enzyme which breaks down phytates, thereby increasing the absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron and calcium. This process softens the beans too, making them easier to digest. Before anyone starts to reach for that stale crust in the bread bin though, mould is, of course, not usually good for us. You ve not been chucking out funky-smelling jars of stuff for no good reason. This mould, grown for tempeh, is specifically grown within a lab, from original cultures found on Hibiscus leaves. It has been tested microbiologically to ensure no pathogens are present, Lucie explains. Okay, so it s understandable to be cautious when growing moulds, especially seeing as we don t really get taught to prepare food in this way for such an ancient practice, it s relatively Lucie Cousins and her Bath Culture House kombucha (above left and above): slightly less rustic than our Jess s efforts (below left) unfamiliar to most of us. If you do fancy giving it a go, though, Lucie recommends starting with sauerkraut which is basically cabbage and salt, and takes two to three weeks to ferment or milk kefir, which is almost like yoghurt (it can be made from cow s milk or a non-dairy alternative), and takes a couple of days. As we learn in the class, though, you do have to ignore all you ve been taught about going easy on the salt. It s important you get plenty in there. Not adding enough salt, or allowing oxygen to get in contact with the fermenting vegetables and fruit, can allow spoilage bacteria and yeasts (non-desirable microbes) to grow, Lucie says. And the two are connected: salting the cabbage makes it release liquid, which is what the cabbage needs to be submerged in, in order to properly ferment. It is important that the brine naturally produced when salting shredded cabbage always remains above the top of your ferment. This prevents oxygen from getting in contact with the ferment and non-desirable microbes from growing. It also aids the naturally healthy fermentation from the naturally occurring lactobacillus bacteria growing on the outside of the vegetables. 93 CRUMBSMAG.COM
CLASSIC CABBAGE KIMCHI MAKES ABOUT 1 LITRE S WORTH Kimchi is essentially Korea s national dish, and is served with every meal. It s fermented spicy cabbage, traditionally made by families during late autumn to last them throughout the year, and then stored in pots underground. It s easily found in Asian stores although it s not usually vegetarian, as kimchi is mostly made with a small amount of fish sauce and/or shrimp paste. This version, however, is delicious without. INGREDIENTS 1 large napa cabbage (Chinese leaf) 3 tbsp fine sea salt 1 large onion 4 spring onions 4 tbsp gochugaru chilli flakes For the paste mix: ½ onion, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 5cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped 1 tsp sugar Similar to sauerkraut is kimchi; a spicy Korean side dish of fermented vegetables. A classic kimchi will include Chinese leaf cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. But there is plenty of room for variation, explains Demuth s tutor Lydia Downey, who joins us on the course to share her corker of a recipe. I mainly make traditional kimchi, but also love to use more local veg, such as red cabbage with carrot, she says. This results in a quite different style of kimchi, similar to sauerkraut, and is really good to eat as a condiment and mixed into salads. However, it can be made with any vegetables that are good eaten raw in salads; cucumber, radish (particularly white mooli or daikon), spring onion, and carrot are all good. To make kimchi taste authentic, you really do need to get hold of some gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes); it s easy to get in most Chinese and Thai supermarkets these days. I buy it locally in Bath, and also know it s available in the Chinese shops in Bristol. It has the most beautiful deep rich red colour and flavour that isn t as fiery hot as you d imagine. It s gochugaru that gives the kimchi its fab red colour, in fact. It also has a gentler heat, meaning you just won t get the same result with regular chilli. Kimchi doesn t have to be just a simple side, either; it can be used to cook with, and form the base of all kinds of dishes. My favourite recipes to use kimchi in are the ones I teach on my classes at Demuth s, Lydia says. Mungbean pancakes are a winner with everyone I ve taught them to delicious and nutritious and so simple. Also, you can use kimchi as the starting point of a dish in place of the usual onion, garlic, ginger combo. I gently fry off a couple of tablespoons of chopped kimchi, before adding other veg for stir fries or stews. It gives a fabulous depth of flavour, with that slightly sharp fermented tang which really freshens up a dish. It also makes the most amazing fried rice and, bizarrely, the best cheese toastie in the world! Hey, don t knock it till you ve tried it To find out about Demuth s courses, including this fermentation one, visit demuths.co.uk METHOD 1 Clean and sterilise your jar or jars. 2 Chop the cabbage into 3cm squares, discarding the stem and core. Place into a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl, and massage in the salt, ensuring it is evenly distributed throughout. Set aside for 1 hour. Meanwhile, blend the paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth. 3 When the cabbage is ready, tip it into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Drain well and allow to dry a little. It will feel quite limp and soft. 4 Place it back into the mixing bowl, and add the chopped onion, spring onions and gochugaru. Add the paste mix and, using clean hands, mix and massage it into the vegetables in order to combine everything thoroughly. 5 Pack the vegetable mix into the jar, pushing down well to compact it all and get rid of any air pockets. Leave several centimetres from the top of the jar empty to allow for expansion during the fermentation process. 6 Gently push a ramekin (or similar weight) down on top of the kimchi mixture until the liquid rises above the cabbage. Keep this weighted down until the kimchi has had its full fermentation time of 3-5 days. Close the lid on the jar but don t fully seal it (the air will need to escape as it ferments), and place in a cool area of your kitchen out of direct sunlight. It s a good idea to place the jar on a plate, in case of spillages that can occur when the liquid ferments and bubbles over the top of the jar. As the kimchi ferments, it can smell quite strong and cabbagey, so Follow Lucie (@fabfermented), and Lydia (@LydiaDowney) on Twitter do warn your family or housemates, and perhaps avoid making it if you have guests staying! 7 Check the jar daily for 3 days, pushing the mix down to release any air pockets and allow the accumulated liquid to come to the surface. It s important that the vegetables are submerged beneath the liquid. Seal the lid to cover each day, then refrigerate after 3-5 days, at which point the kimchi should smell strong, sour and pickled but not unpleasant. Taste the kimchi to decide if it needs more fermenting, then place in the fridge to store. 8 You can use the kimchi straight away, but may find the flavour needs a couple of weeks to develop enough to your liking. Once fully fermented, the kimchi will keep for up to six months (possibly longer) in the fridge, but do check it from time to time as it can go mouldy if there are any air pockets or the liquid evaporates away. 94 CRUMBSMAG.COM