KIMCHI
Serves 8
This ancient flavour bomb is said to be one of the secrets behind South Koreans’ long, healthy lives. A study in The Lancet forecasted that South Korean women will be the first in the world to have an average life expectancy over 90 by 2030. Goals
INGREDIENTS
● 200g Chinese cabbage
● 25g sea salt
● 1 carrot, grated
● 1 spring onion, sliced
● 50g daikon radish, chopped into matchsticks
● 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
● 1 tsp grated ginger
● 1 tsp gochugaru powder (or ½ tsp chilli powder and ½ tsp paprika)
● 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
EQUIPMENT
● 500ml glass jar, with lid, sterilised
● glass weight or mini glass jar to keep the ferment submerged
METHOD
➤ Rinse each of the cabbage leaves under running water to get rid of any residual soil before chopping into strips (as thick as you like). Put the sliced cabbage into a large bowl, then add the salt.
Next (clean hands only, please), massage the salt into the leaves until the cabbage looks a bit bruised. This helps the microbes get into the cabbage cell walls, where they do their thing. Cover with
500ml filtered water, pop a plate on top and let it soak for 2 hours.
➤ Drain the soaked cabbage and rinse it three times to get rid of the excess salt, like you’re giving it a little Moroccan hammam treatment. Squeeze out any excess water and place back in the bowl.
➤ Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well before transferring to a 500ml jar. Holding on to some simmering resentments? Good. Call them to mind and, using your fist, punch the mixture. You’re trying to create a layer of juice between the raw kimchi and the air above. When you’re done, let your glass weight or mini jar do the rest of the work.
➤ Screw the lid on and leave at room temperature (18-22°C), out of direct sunlight. Here’s your homework: once a day, release any gas that’s built up by untwisting the lid a little to let it out.
➤ After three days (more if it’s cooler, less if it’s warmer), your kimchi is ready to taste. You want it to have an acidic bite; if it’s lacking, give it another day or two.
➤ Once you’re happy with it, pop it in the fridge with the lid sealed tight to trap in the gas, creating the fizziness of traditional kimchi. Ideally, leave it for two weeks to allow the flavours to develop.
Nutrition: 11 cals | 3g carbs | 0.1g fat
RAW SLAW (AKA SAUERKRAUT)
Serves 8
If the name calls to mind a bratwurst topper, it’s time for a re-education. A thoroughly 2019 version of coleslaw, the raw variety is where the real flavours – and microbes – are at
INGREDIENTS
● 300g Chinese cabbage, or cabbage of choice
● 4g sea salt
● 1 tsp miso paste
● 1 spring onion, chopped
● 1 tsp grated ginger
EQUIPMENT
● 500ml airtight jar, sterilised
● glass weight or mini glass jar to keep the ferment submerged
METHOD
➤ As before, rinse the cabbage under running water to get rid of any residual soil before chopping into strips. Then put in a bowl with the salt, massaging it into the leaves.
➤ Drain off 1 tbsp cabbage juice (lovely) into a small mug, then stir in the miso paste, along with the spring onion and ginger, massaging as you go.
➤ Transfer the mixture to your jar and, just as before, push the slaw down with your fist to get rid of all the air bubbles, leaving a layer of juice on the surface. Top it off with your glass weight.
➤ Screw the lid on and leave at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Keep up the daily checks, letting out the gas, and, after seven days, your slaw should be ready to taste (if you prefer a stronger acidic flavour, continue to ferment for up to four weeks, tasting weekly. If you notice any
surface mould growing, it could be that you didn’t completely submerge your veg. Some people say you can just scrape it off, but I like to play it safe, which means ditching it and starting again.
➤ When you’re happy with the flavour, pop it in the fridge for a few days for a totally slaw-some side dish.
Nutrition: 62 cals | 8g carbs | 0.6g protein | 0.1g fat
LIVE YOGHURT
Serves 4
Not only does yoghurt make a great snack on its own, its creamy consistency has earned it a place in many of my recipes, including sauces, dips and baking. The fermentation of lactose produces lactic acid; it’s this that acts on the milk protein to give yoghurt its texture and flavour
INGREDIENTS
● 600ml whole milk (this makes for a thicker, creamier yoghurt)
● 2 tbsp live plain yoghurt (you want one that says ‘probiotics’ or ‘live cultures’ on the label)
For the berry chia jam:
● 140g blueberries (or berry of choice)
● 1 medjool date, chopped
● 1 tbsp chia seeds
EQUIPMENT
● Ovenproof jar, sterilised
● thermometer
METHOD
➤ Pour the milk into a saucepan on a lowmedium heat and gently simmer until the temperature is around 45°C – the thermometer is your friend here.
➤ Put your yoghurt (the source of all the friendly microbes) in an ovenproof jar and slowly stir in the warmed milk until well combined.
➤ Yoghurt microbes flourish in temperatures of around 40-45°C. You can create this climate in a number of ways (including yoghurt makers), but the oven works just fine. Heat a fan-assisted oven to 50°C, then turn it off. Turn on the oven light, then place the open jar in the oven. The light will keep the oven at a consistent temperature of around 40-45°C. (Oven doesn’t have a light? Leave it on, instead – just don’t leave the house or go to bed.) Leave the jar in the oven for 8–12 hours. The longer the incubation period, the thicker and more tart the yoghurt will be.
➤ After the incubation period, remove the jar from the oven, let it chill out on the kitchen counter, then place it in the fridge to set. Your yoghurt is now live and kicking.
For the berry chia jam:
➤ Place your berry of choice in a saucepan with the chopped date and half a cup of water. Use the back of a spatula to squash the fruit and let it simmer gently for 10 mins.
➤ Mix in your chia seeds and continue to simmer until it starts to thicken (around 2-3 mins). Remove from the heat and give it time to cool.
➤ Now stir through as much of the jam as you please into your serving of yoghurt.
Nutrition: 158 cals | 28g carbs | 24G Protein | 8g fat
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