The salting of mackerel with the recipe of old empires, called ‘garum’, produces an umami that chef José Cremades uses to create new recipes
The ‘garum’ is a condiment that comes out of the entrails of fish in brine exposed to the sun, says José Cremades, chef at La Mestiza, in La Manga, Cartagena, who has dedicated himself to investigating the potential of this flavor, discovered by the Greeks and exploited by the Romans, in current dishes. “The ‘garum sociorum’ of the city of Cartagena was the first gastronomic product that had a dated price and was worth like a perfume.” There was a large salting production in the Region of Murcia, which Cremades reproduced to put it in his kitchen.
According to the account in the presentation ‘What the garum taught us’, in Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España, with technical reports in hand, the result was 65% water, 22% salt and the rest was the detachment of the fish, mackerel, which throws out its “fermented product”: bacteria, yeasts and fungi that survive the salt, release the enzymes, break down the protein and release the amino acids. The result is umami in its purest form.
In the kitchen of La Mestiza they have made a ‘garum’ yoghurt with goat’s milk. “At first it was cut off.” They found the balance with 5% ‘garum’ per liter of milk. «It is a yogurt with a very salty flavor mixed with 60% garum honey. It has a sweet and pungent taste.”
Another recipe achieved with this salting is the ‘Ground paprika cake’, “with ‘garum’ sourdough, in a saline proportion that did not end the life of the dough,” says Cremades. “We achieved a cool and mild saltiness, so there is no need to salt the dough afterwards. For the toast we tried how the ‘garum’ worked with the fats. It produces a lot of umami and we use it in butter.”
A third ‘snack’ achieved with the Murcian seasoning experimented with citric and acetic acid. Lemon and vinegar, for a gherkin and corn pickle. “In citrus, the percentage had to be increased and in vinegar it was only equaled, and it was wonderful,” celebrates Cremades.
In main dishes, the technique was used with a red prawn. «The ‘garum’ crystallizes above the prawn and does not need more salt. The percentage of salt in ‘garum’ is 33% and in the Mediterranean 34%, so we steam the prawn with a salinity very similar to that of the sea. With the ‘garum’ salt, there are nuances that are reminiscent of when the red prawn falls on top of the grill and makes a crust that I really like». The technique is also applied to lobster and pigeon.
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