From Fire to Ferments: Getting Back in the game
It’s been well over a year since my last blog post, life got busy, the weather got rubbish, and my BBQ hut is still a work in progress. Thankfully, I’ve managed to keep the charcoal going occasionally, just enough to remind me why I love it so much.
But lately, I've properly gotten back into fermentation. It's something I've been messing around with since about 2018, but during the lockdown years (2019–2020) I really fell down the rabbit hole. Recently, I've rekindled my passion, particularly by exploring Koji (Aspergillus oryzae) in greater depth. This fascinating fungus is the cornerstone of traditional Japanese fermentations, including soy sauce, miso, and the wonderful Shio Koji marinade.
If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend booking a course with Haruko at thekojifermenteria.com. Haruko is incredibly knowledgeable and has a fantastic ability to clearly explain all aspects of Koji. As she'll undoubtedly tell you, a must-have resource is Koji for Life by Nakaji, available here.
If you're keen to skip the hassle of inoculating your own rice, you can grab ready-made Koji here from Sous Chef.
Fermented Fire-Roasted Veg Recipes
Lately, I’ve been combining two of my favourite things, fire-roasting and fermentation. Here are a couple of really simple recipes to get you going:
Fermented Fire-Roasted Pepper & Chilli Sauce
Ingredients:
500g mixed peppers and chillies
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
Fresh ginger (optional)
Sea salt (about 2% of the veg weight)
Method:
Char peppers, chillies, onion, garlic, and ginger over your grill until nicely blistered. Charcoal gives amazing flavour, but a gas hob works just the same
Let everything cool, then peel off the charred skins (this is optional but improves texture).
Chop the veg roughly and weigh it. Add about 2% of this weight in sea salt (e.g., 20g salt per 1kg veg).
Mix thoroughly and pack tightly into a jar.
I rarely use water here because I prefer a thicker sauce, but if it seems too dry, you can add a little 2% salt brine (20g salt per litre of water) just to cover.
Cover loosely, allow gases to escape, and ferment for 1–2 weeks at room temperature. Once tangy, blend it up, bottle, and refrigerate. Perfect on everything from grilled chicken to tacos.
Fermented Fire-Roasted Salsa
Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes
2 bell peppers
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
Fresh coriander
Sea salt (2% by weight)
Method:
Grill tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic until charred—great over charcoal if possible.
Chop roughly, weigh the veg, and add 2% salt.
Mix well, pack into a jar (again, rarely adding water unless really needed—I like mine chunky).
Ferment for 5–7 days at room temperature, then refrigerate. Enjoy with grilled meat or tacos!
Quick and Easy Koji Recipes
My absolute favourite is Shio Koji, I usually culture my own Koji at home, but this process can get pretty involved, needing precise temperature and humidity control. So here's an easier way to get started using ready-made Koji rice from Sous Chef.
Here are a few straightforward recipes to get you started:
1. Easy Shio Koji (Koji Salt Marinade)
Great as a marinade for meat, fish, or veggies, it adds amazing tenderness and umami flavour.
Ingredients:
200g ready-made Koji rice
60g sea salt
250ml water
Method:
Mix Koji rice, salt, and water in a jar.
Loosely cover(grease proof paper works great, try to keep air bubbles out) and ferment for 7–10 days at room temp, stirring daily.
Blend or leave chunky, refrigerate, and use as marinade or seasoning.
This can either be blended into a smooth Shio Koji paste or, as I prefer, you can drain off the liquid that naturally rises to the top. That liquid is amazing in sauces, ramen, or as a seasoning, think soy sauce but even tastier. The remaining paste is perfect as a marinade or for coating meat and veggies.
2. Koji-Enhanced Miso Butter
Delicious melted onto steaks, seafood, or roasted veg.
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp Shio Koji paste
2 tbsp white miso paste
Method:
Thoroughly mix ingredients.
Refrigerate until firm, slice, and enjoy.
3. Koji-Marinated Chicken
Tender, juicy, flavour-packed chicken.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Shio Koji paste
4 chicken thighs
Minced ginger (optional)
Fresh lemon juice
Method:
Marinate chicken overnight with Shio Koji, ginger, lemon.
Grill, pan-fry, or bake until cooked, rest briefly, and serve.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy experimenting with these recipes as much as I have. Feel free to drop me a message and let me know how you get on. Happy fermenting and grilling!
Carbo
