Nena Foster’s fermented three cornered leek
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 x 2L jar
- 250-300g three-cornered leek, bottoms trimmed and washed
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1.25 litre salt brine, 5% (1.25 litre water and 63g Pure Sea Salt)
- Cabbage leaf/fermentation weight
Nena Foster is a food writer who specialises in all things fermented. All of her food aims to bring pleasure and simplicity back into cooking, and she is known for bringing her sunny disposition to all of her food and teaching. We can vouch for her online workshops, which offer an amazing way to learn more about the amazing benefits of fermentation.
In this recipe, she shows how to make a delicious condiment out of some foraged flowers found all over the UK.
Three-cornered leek is one of my favourite forage finds, and making the decision to ferment some of my haul was probably one of greatest flavour triumphs. When fermented, it’s garlicky, onion-y tang mellows and the end result resembles asparagus, but rich umami flavour. Add this to salads, sandwiches or whizz it up into a pesto or dip. And be sure to keep the brine as it makes an excellent flavour booster for just about anything, including soups.
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Pack the leeks and bay leaves tightly into the jar. Trim the stems if necessary to ensure there is 4-5 cm space above the leeks and the opening of the jar.
Next, make your brine solution by dissolving the salt in just enough boiling water and top up to the total 1.25L with cool filtered water.
Pour over the cooled brine over the leeks, making sure they are completely submerged.
Use a cabbage leaf to cover over the veg or a fermentation weight to keep the leeks submerged in the brine. Seal the jar(s).
IMAGE: Indi Petrucci
RECIPE: Nena Foster
