Not only does fermentation enhance food preservation while out on the road, but it has lots of added health benefits too!
Spicy kimchi
Prep time: Up to 3 hours (allow minimum two days for fermentation)
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of wombok (Chinese cabbage) cut lengthwise and then into quarters
- ¼ cup sea salt (use iodine-free salt so as not to inhibit fermentation process)
- Spring water
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp raw sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp red chilli flakes (more or less depending on desired spiciness)
- 1 cup Daikon radish (found at Asian grocers), peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 litre jar with canning lid
Method
Place wombok/Chinese cabbage in a large bowl, cover with sea salt and massage the salt into the cabbage until it softens a bit.
Add enough spring water to cover the cabbage, place a plate on top to weigh it down in the bowl and set aside for 1–2 hours.
Rinse the cabbage under cold water then strain and sit for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, mix together garlic, ginger, raw sugar, fish sauce and chilli flakes in a small bowl.
Squeeze the remaining water from the cabbage, add the chilli mixture, Daikon radish and spring onions; mix well.
Add the mixture (Kimchi) to a jar, leaving at least 2cm of space from the top. Seal the jar.
Let it ferment (away from the sunlight) for at least two days, checking every day that the brine is covering the vegetables and pressing down.
Serve cold with just about anything, refrigerate for up to three months.
Camp oven sourdough
Total time: Up to 24 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 350g bread flour
- 275mL water
- 70g sourdough starter (it’s easy to make your own prior)
- 10mL olive oil
- 6g salt
Method
This will need to be prepared the day before consuming.
Mix the flour and water together in a large bowl and let rest for one hour.
Add the sourdough starter and olive oil, mix with your hands to make a stretchy dough, then rest for 30 minutes.
Add the salt and an extra 10mL of water, stretching and folding each corner of the dough over the top of the dough every 45 minutes for the next six hours. Place in the fridge or a cool spot covered with a wet tea towel for 12–16 hours (generally overnight).
Score the top of the sourdough, line your camp oven with baking paper and place sourdough on top.
Place camp oven over hot coals (cover the lid with hot coals for an even cook) for 30 minutes (260 degrees Celsius when using an oven) with the lid on and 20 minutes with the lid off as the coals begin to cool.
Fermented banana choc pudding
Prep time: Up to 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 medium overripe bananas (frozen)
- 1 ½ tins coconut cream
- 450g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tbsp Arrowroot powder (or gelatin)
Method
You will need to freeze blackened skin/overripe bananas a couple of weeks prior to making this recipe.
Peel the bananas and blend them with 1 tin of coconut cream in the blender, until smooth.
Pour the banana puree into a saucepan and stir in chocolate, sugar, salt, vanilla, warming over a medium heat.
Whisk together the rest of the coconut cream and Arrowroot in a separate bowl and add to the saucepan, stirring until Arrowroot powder dissolves and chocolate has melted into a smooth mixture.
Remove chocolate mix from the heat and divide the mixture between four serving bowls.
Freeze overnight and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.
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