Chefs can use fermentation as a tool to transform unlikely ingredients and upcycle scraps. Here's how chef Lorenzo Tirelli uses it to put a sustainable spin on a classic Sicilian dish.
Throughout October, Brut and @eatforum are sharing examples of the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet from around the world.
Throughout October, Brut and @eatforum are sharing examples of the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet from around the world.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00The world's most delicious foods are actually fermented.
00:03Parmesan cheese, miso, even wine.
00:06Fermentation can be used as a tool to develop flavors.
00:16I chose this dish because I wanted to really showcase
00:18how two unappealing, not really sexy ingredients
00:23like chickpeas and cabbage can actually become tasty
00:26and delicious through the action of specific flavor
00:30reactions.
00:52So panele are a Sicilian dish.
00:55They're made of chickpea flour,
00:57widely available flour, very inexpensive,
01:00topped with grilled cabbage and salsa verde
01:03with some slices of pecorino.
01:05You'll need chickpea and corn flour,
01:07vegetable broth, a little bit of yogurt,
01:10garlic, baking soda.
01:11To make the cabbage, you'll need a cabbage.
01:14I've been marinating since last night
01:17in a fermented shiokoji, an Asian condiment, tomato paste.
01:21And to top it off with the green salsa verde,
01:24you'll need parsley, oregano, thyme, vinegar, pecorino,
01:28a couple of anchovies, and pomegranate seeds.
01:31By using fermentation and hardcore grilling,
01:34we turned raw materials into some delicious planetary health
01:38diet components.
01:40We are gelatinizing the starches in the chickpea flour.
01:44So from a raw powder that looks pretty unappetizing,
01:48we're going to be able to actually taste
01:50the sweetness of the chickpeas.
01:51So we're going to put it in the freezer.
01:55One of the reasons why people love eating crusty bits
01:59and more charred is because they're full of flavor.
02:02And maybe eaten in large quantities are not healthy.
02:06But a little bit there and here will enhance
02:10the overall flavor of the dish.
02:18Fermentation as a tool really demands us chefs
02:22to be able to interact with other forms of life,
02:25like microbes.
02:26You need to learn how these fungi that are in the cabbage
02:29or the microbes that are in the salsa verde
02:32really behave and reproduce to make them thrive
02:36and to actually access those flavors.
02:41Delicious.
02:42There's like this hearty savoriness
02:44coming from the pecorino on top.
02:46It's followed by a smooth chickpea creaminess.
02:49And then all the anchovies and the juice from the cabbage
02:53coming out and leaching in your mouth.
02:55What a delicious bite.
02:56Again, showcasing how fermentation will be
02:59definitely a tool that will accompany us for the future.