I never follow recipes. Never. I am in a constant process of experimentation in the kitchen. But, I do revisit ideas and preparations relatively frequently. I recently revisited a recipe I developed for Edible Alaska, inspired by old grocery receipts. Inspired by Sandor Katz, I decided to ferment my batter… to powerful result.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup garbanzo bean flour + 3 TBS, divided
A pinch Kala namak, or black salt (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1 tsp baking powder (optional)
½ tsp dried herb like basil or oregano
dash of nutmeg or mace
1 cup water + 1/4 cup, divided
½ cup kefir or 2 TBS yogurt thinned with 1/2 cup water
½ cup finely chopped white and light green parts of leek
1/2 cup other dry veggie like broccoli, asparagus, or as shown here, devil’s club buds
Method:
Begin 3 days in advance of dining. Mix together bean flour, 1 cup water, and regular salt. Cover with a papertowel and sit on counter for 3 days, stirring every day 2-3 times. The batter will poof and start to smell sour (this is good!).
On the day of dining, preheat oven to 350F. Grease two four-inch spring form pans and line with parchment.
Whisk into fermented mixture the remaining flour, water, and kefir. Add in black salt, herb, spice, nutritional yeast, and baking powder. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Load pans with leek and veggies. Divide batter over top.
Bake for about 40 minutes until browned on edges and center does not spring back but is not jiggly (you want soft, egg-like gooey texture, or I do. You can cook for 5 minutes longer for firmer).
Let rest 5 minutes. Unmold and serve with a bright salad.