Pascal Baudar - Wildcrafted Fermentation

PRAISE FORWILDCRAFTED FERMENTATION

Pascal Baudar is a culinary visionary who is also excellent at clearly explaining his ideas and methods to make them accessible. I am in awe of this book as well as his two earlier ones. Get ready to be inspired.

Sandor Ellix Katz , author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation

Wildcrafted Fermentation is an amazing, passion-based work! Looking outside at the snow-covered ground, Im more eager than ever for the return of musk mustards, lambs quarters, and other wild plants to add to ferments. And I especially appreciate the use of the Latin names for plants and the cheerful and repeated reassurances that nothing can go wrongjust what a nervous fermenter wants to hear. This is a stunning book.

Deborah Madison , author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Pascal Baudar is back. His distinctive approach to wildcrafting is enhanced this time by connecting wild plants to the transformative power of lactic acid fermentation. In doing so, Pascal elevates commonly found roots, shoots, seeds, weeds, and leaves to foods with astounding flavors. He encourages the reader to explore the flavorshed of their own region while understanding how to responsibly be part of their local ecology. The book is exciting, creative, and beautiful. Perhaps more importantly, it offers inspiring, adaptable recipes that employ solid and safe techniques. It is a must-have for both foragers and fermentation enthusiasts.

Kirsten Shockey , coauthor of Fermented Vegetables , Fiery Ferments , and Miso, Tempeh, Natto and Other Tasty Ferments

With a rare combination of humility and wisdom, Baudar shares his deep immersion into the seam between wild foods and fermentation so that we all may embark on or enhance our own exploration of these lost arts. Risks of error deter many people from attempting either wild food harvesting or home ferments, but Baudar puts all of our instinctive concerns in perspective, cautioning us to follow some basic rules and encouraging us not be afraid to experiment.

My favorite recipe titles include Fermented Forest Floor Paste and Roasted Oak Bark Hot Sauce. Those who doubt the utility of his innovative creations need look only at the earth around them. The possibilities, as he suggests, are limited only by the eye (and palate) of the beholder.

Evan Mallett , chef/owner, Black Trumpet bistro; author of Black Trumpet

Also by Pascal Baudar

The New Wildcrafted Cuisine:
Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy of Local Terroir

The Wildcrafting Brewer:
Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Natures Ingredients

Wildcrafted Fermentation

Exploring, Transforming, and Preserving the Wild Flavors of Your Local Terroir

PASCAL BAUDAR

Chelsea Green Publishing

White River Junction, Vermont

London, UK

Copyright 2020 by Pascal Baudar.

All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs copyright 2020 by Pascal Baudar.

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Project Manager: Alexander Bullett

Project Editor: Benjamin Watson

Copy Editor: Laura Jorstad

Proofreader: Eliani Torres

Indexer: Linda Hallinger

Designer: Melissa Jacobson

Printed in the United States of America.

First printing February 2020.

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Our Commitment to Green Publishing

Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was printed on paper from responsibly managed forests, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Wildcrafted Fermentation was printed on paper supplied by Versa Press that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Baudar, Pascal, 1961- author.

Title: Wildcrafted fermentation : exploring, transforming, and preserving the wild flavors of your local terroir / Pascal Baudar.

Description: White River Junction : Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020. | Fermentation basics Getting started: Exploring your local terroir Exploring local and ethnic flavors Delving deeper into local ingredients Fermenting with the environment Foraged and fermented soups, pastes, spreads, and sauces Wilder cheeses Creative dishes and plating.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019044579 (print) | LCCN 2019044580 (ebook) | ISBN 9781603588515 (paperback) | ISBN 9781603588522 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking (Wild foods) | Fermentation. | FoodPreservation. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX652 .B3334 2020 (print) | LCC TX652 (ebook) | DDC 664/.024dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019044579

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019044580

Chelsea Green Publishing

85 North Main Street, Suite 120

White River Junction, VT 05001

Somerset House

London, UK

www.chelseagreen.com

To my wonderful children, Felicia and Luc;

my daughter-in-law, Denise; and you, too, Garrett!

And, of course, to my granddaughter, Olivia.

Olivia,

the future belongs to youmake this world a better place.

Shape it the way you dream it should be!

CONTENTS

I grew up in Belgium, and the sour flavors of lacto-fermentation were not a big part of my culinary education. Maybe a couple of times a year we would eat choucroute garnie (garnished sauerkraut) purchased in jars or cans at the store. It was cheap and easy to prepare, just an already cooked sauerkraut with sausage and salted pork. The idea of raw fermentation, as well as the concept of probiotics and the health benefits associated with the process, never entered the picture. I even think my mom served it when the food budget was particularly low that week; it was cheap canned food.

My favorite part was the meatthe cooked sauerkraut wasnt exactly my cup of tea. Even cooked, it still had that strange sourness I wasnt accustomed to. Im pretty sure that if I had asked my parents or even my grandparents how sauerkraut was made, they would have had no clueit was already a lost practice. But if you study the various components of this garnished sauerkraut, youll realize that it was solid paysan (peasant) food based on extremely traditional food preservation techniques: salting and fermentation. Salted meat and sausage were important staples in the old days, and fermented cabbage was one way to get you through the winter and add a decent amount of vitamin C that could prevent scurvy as well. That purchased jar was pure food preservation history and probably a very luxurious meal for my ancestors.