Garlic and ginger! These ingredients are staples in my kitchen and are in almost every meal I cook. This recipe is an easy ferment for first timers with just a few ingredients and kitchen items needed; plus the flexibility to add in some things for extra spice or flavor! This recipe is from Brad Leone, check out the YouTube video of him making it here.
The farmers market in Portland has so many amazing varieties of garlic, I usually buy garlic with a stronger flavor but any type will work. Ginger root is usually available at your preferred grocery store or your local Asian grocery market.
This recipe produces a funky paste which can be used on its own or added to a mix to make a deeper flavor profile! I use it in veggie stir fries, a base for jalapeno relish, add it to a marinade for beef or fish, and anywhere you want garlic and ginger - which, for me, is most places!
This recipe is based on the weight of garlic and ginger I had on hand. You can add more or less of either just weigh it out to get the correct amount of salt your fermentation needs!
Makes roughly 90 grams of paste
Ingredients:
- 75 grams ginger peeled and cut into smaller pieces 150 grams garlic peeled and crushed
- 4.4 grams SKORDO Maine Sea Salt **Important! Make sure the salt is 2% of the total weight.
- 1/2 tablespoon Pure and Raw Honey
- 1 crushed DeArbol Chile (optional)
Directions:
- Peel the garlic and ginger. Be sure to cut the garlic bottoms off. This is the most time consuming step - feel free to utilize those kitchen helpers! Weigh your garlic and ginger. I personally enjoy more of a garlic taste so I utilize a 1:2 ratio of ginger to garlic. In doing any ferment it is very important to be exact, having a food scale will help in this and future ferments.
- Lightly crush the garlic and ginger to release some of the enzymes. Add the garlic and ginger to your jar. Weigh out your Maine Sea Salt and add this plus the Pure and Raw Honey to your jarr. Mix all ingredients making sure to coat the ginger and garlic pieces.
- Add in anything you want! I like to include 1 to 3 DeArbol chiles depending on how much I am fermenting, but many things would add to the flavor as it ferments. A few things to consider for flavor additions: bay leaves, Makrut lime leaves, black cardamom or szechuan peppercorns. Close up the jar making sure to wipe the top clean.
- Burp the jar as needed, I do it at least once a day. This ferment can go for 3 days to 2 weeks! The length will depend on how fermented you want your paste to be. Once you're done fermenting, remove the chile or anything else you added, but do not want included in the paste. Add garlic and ginger to a food processor, pulse until paste is formed. This paste will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks, but honestly I go through it way before that!
Fermenting Tip:
Make sure any jar you are using is food safe! Fermenting causes gas which could lead to some not so fun glass explosions. At SKORDO we love the Kilner and Weck jars - effective and look nice on your countertops!
Recipe Credit: Brad Leone