How to pair your ferments this festive season 🎄

We love any occasion where food and drink are key, especially when ferments get invited to the party!

Christmas is the perfect time of year to get some ferments in the mix and switch up your plate of beige frozen party food for a gut lovin', delicious platter of goodies. We have a few ideas below of how you can add some ferments into your canapés, use up some leftovers and funk up Christmas!

Sauerkraut 

The humble sauerkraut is usually found snuggled up to sausages and meat heavy dishes but has so many other tricks up its sleeve.

Why not try mixing our traditional kraut with some leftover mash potato, roll them into little balls, dip them in plant based milk before rolling in bread crumbs. Shallow fry them on both sides and serve them topped with a spoonful of our spicy pear and kombucha chutney for a Boxing Day treat?

Our Spicy Beetroot Kraut is the perfect topper for hummus on your grazing board, adding a tangy crunch, gentle heat and a pop of colour to brighten up the darker nights. You can also use the leftover brine to make your own hummus, see our pickles on a plate blog for more info.

Kimchi 

Kimchi is the most versatile ferment, with so many ways you can use this deliciousness to add a spicy, umami filled bite to every dish.

Why not try making kimchi filled sticky rice balls, Arancini style for a quick, tasty and innovative canapé? Place some sticky rice in the palm of your hand, add a teaspoon of kimchi in the middle before rolling into a ball, using panko bread crumbs to coat the rice, before shallow frying for crispy golden balls of joy.

Our Roast Dinner Kimchi has all the seasonal veg you would have piled on a roast, with the heady kick of wasabi filling in for horseradish. It was too much for Aldi but why not try it on the side of your roast instead of cranberry sauce to cut through those fatty, richer elements on the plate?

Kombucha

Kombucha is fermented tea, that is a great alcohol substitute to wine and beer. Over the festive period its very easy to over do it on the booze, but by swapping out some drinks for kombucha you can reduce the hangovers this year!

Our flagship kombucha flavour, Champagne Cassis is the perfect alternative to a bottle of fizz, available in 750ml bottles over the festive season. Why not pop a bottle for those designated drivers, non-drinkers or just to take a break from the strong stuff? Made from a blend of white tea with black and white currants, lemongrass and delicate flowers, this is perfect for your celebrations!

New for this season is our Royal Rosé kombucha, a noble and elegant fruit tea with a strong flavour and sour zing, it’s fit for a queen or king! Made from a blend of rich fruits and berries, this kombucha is a fantastic alternative to rose wine, so why not make an alcohol free spritzer. Fill a wine glass with ice, add 125ml of Royal Rose, 25ml of Elderflower Cordial and top with your favourite tonic, delicious. 

Fermented Mustard 

Our fermented Mustard uses leftover sauerkraut brine and verjus from winemaking to create a funky alternative to whole grain mustard. Traditionally used as an accompaniment to cheese and cold cuts, but can be used in a few different ways. 

Why not try using our mustard in a Welsh rarebit mix, smeared on sourdough bread and toasted under the grill for a fantastic breakfast. The best thing about this easy start to the day is its so easy to batch up, for when you have the family round this festive season.

For a seasonal side salad of your dreams, why not use our mustard for a simple dressing?

Thinly slice 1 small red onion and place in a bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp mustard with ¼ cup honey/agave and 2 tbsp water. Put a small pot on the heat, add oil and 2 sage leaves, before adding the whisked mixture. It will fizz a little, stir until it thickens about a minute, add a pinch of salt and a ¼ cup of red wine vinegar. Stir and simmer gently for 1-2 mins. Remove the sage before pouring over the red onion. Stir to combine. Toss together with a mix of seasonal greens, we love using baked kale and white cabbage.

Pickled Onions 

The classic sour staple for any wintry platter of finger foods, we all know pickled onions add a tart twist to a cheese board, add the finishing touch to a ploughman’s lunch but they can offer so much more than a support act!

We have heard that pickled onions in gravy is a seasonal staple on some peoples Christmas Day dinner, no judgment here but would you try it? Why not quarter some pickled onions and add them to your classic gravy recipe before pouring all over your roast.

(We accept no accountability for this suggestion, Maybe do a test batch first)

Why not make a show stopper pickled onion and beetroot tarte tatin, we substituted our pickled onions in a classic tarte recipe for the red onion and it worked perfectly. With our kombucha vinegar pickled onion’s floral and zingy flavour contrasting with the earthy hit of the beetroot, this is sure to be a winner on any festive table.

If you fancy any of the above ideas, please let us know how you get on in the kitchen!

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