Ingredients
| FOR THE MISO | |
| 2½kg dried whero peas (available from Huckleberry and Commonsense) | |
| 2kg rice/barley koji* (* At Pasture we use koji spores but you can buy readymade rice koji online.) | |
| 750g salt | |
| 250ml water | |
| FOR THE MISO BUTTER | |
| 250g roasted macadamias | |
| 150g butter miso to taste (white miso if buying) | |
| TO SERVE | |
| sourdough bread preserves |
Patrick Evans’ passage made us think of the early days of preparing for Pasture. When we returned to New Zealand we lived in a couple of older rural houses with big hot-water cupboards. So we appreciated the aspect of checking in and tending to the progress of a ferment – it is so fascinating to make things from scratch and utilise a scoby, mother or bug passed down or begin ferments with ambient yeasts. We both find the progress of ferments interesting and inspiring – the flavours and philosophies of Pasture are based around this.
Ed has been working with koji (Aspergillus oryzae) for many years now. So his interpretation of this passage is a breakfast with some ferments using local produce; this is the kind of rustic, savoury food we love to eat – and we always have a loaf of Ed’s sourdough at home.
We understand most people may not be able to make a batch of miso, but hopefully the miso-macadamia butter on griddled sourdough is inspirational for a warm, autumnal breakfast, even if you use bought miso.
“At breakfast we always ate porridge with a yeast curd I made from a germ someone had given me long ago and which I persuaded to renewed life in my hot-water cylinder cupboard each evening.” – Patrick Evans
Instructions
| 1. | FOR THE MISO |
| 2. | Soak the whero peas overnight. Steam them and then mash with the soaking water. |
| 3. | Add koji and salt and mix very well. |
| 4. | Pack into a bucket, pushing into sides and corners to ensure there are no air pockets. |
| 5. | Cover the surface with plastic wrap and weigh down. Leave for 6 months to 1 year. |
| 6. | The process will be faster if it’s left in a warm environment, but in the pantry will do. |
| 7. | It’s ready when you can taste the deep umami flavour. |
| 8. | FOR THE MISO BUTTER |
| 9. | In a food processor blend the macadamias until smooth, then blend in the butter and miso. |
| 10. | TO SERVE |
| 11. | Griddle chunky slices of sourdough bread in the best butter you can find and a little beef fat. |
| 12. | Spread with the miso butter and serve with summer preserves of cherry or plum to complement the nutty miso. |
Photography Jason Creaghan
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