René Redzepi: I think to become a fermentor,
words like ‘easy’ are not the first words
that you think of.
But then again, I mean it's also like, come
on, why does everything have to be so easy?
Once you get past the point of gaining the
knowledge – which is the most difficult
bit, in the first trial and error period – then
it actually becomes easy, and then with time,
much easier.
There are some, though, that are relatively
easy.
As in the lactic fermentation of berries.
That's a simple process.
You need salt, you need a berry and they need
a crock or – what do you call it? – a
Ball jar or Mason jar.
Exactly.
That's really easy and also real practical.
You can use it for a lot of things, and that's
a way to use your surplus berries – or fruit
for that matter.
Some of the best ones, that will give delight
to any kitchen – I feel 110 percent confident
in saying – are some of the meat garums.
Particularly, the roasted chicken wing garum,
which you know, turned into this liquid that
sits between that the stickiness that's on
the bottom of the sheet pan when you roast
a good chicken and soy sauce and acidity at
the same time.
And then there's more to it that's inexplicable
because that's what fermentation does to it;
there's also like a natural sweetness.
It’s a perfect brew together.
Drops of that into almost anything makes it
better.
David Zilber: The leftover brines from lactic
ferments.
While the berries and the vegetables are great
themselves, if you're fermenting fruit or
making pickles, just the juice that's leftover
is remarkably useful and satisfying.
A suggestion that comes up a lot in the book
is to bathe shellfish in it, using that over
freshly cooked clams or freshly shucked oyster.
But, also just for vinaigrettes in salads;
it provides its own acidity and seasoning.
All you need is a good quality oil to split
it with and then it's done.
So, for me that's the best part because it
is a two-for-one.
You have your fruit that you can eat or cook
with, turn into a puree, or dry into a leather;
you have that that amazing fermented product
in itself.
And then you have this amazing liquor that
then goes on to any application that where
you would use vinegar or want acidity and
savoriness at the same time.
