For seasoning & marinating
Chicken garum
Why chicken garum?
Our organic eggs come from our longstanding partner Rupert Zehentner, who runs the Schrederbauer farm in neighbouring Saalfelden. We use an average of 8,000 eggs a month at our breakfast buffet and in the kitchen. Once their laying days are over, hens are usually sent to the food industry for processing. At Hotel Riederalm, we take a more sustainable approach: together with microbiologist Christian Weij, we turn these stewing hens into garum, a fermented seasoning.
Unser Riederalm Hendl Garum ist ein toller natürlicher Ersatz zum oft verwendeten Suppenpulver.
Why is it gluten-free despite containing barley?
How do we turn chicken into garum?
After slaughter, the whole chicken, including the bones and offal, is roasted in the oven. Meanwhile, barley is inoculated with the mould Aspergillus sojae to make koji, which is mixed with Leogang spring water and natural salt. The mixture is then fermented in a special vat for around six to eight months at approximately 30°C. It is stirred daily for the first three weeks, then once a week. After fermentation, the garum is filtered and bottled. This special fermentation process makes the chicken garum gluten-free.
What is koji?
Koji is made by growing Aspergillus mould cultures on grain, such as wheat or barley. These cultures have traditionally been used to ferment food in East Asian cooking. In Japanese, kōji can refer both to the fermentation culture and to the grain on which it is grown.
How do we use chicken garum in our kitchen?
We use it to add depth to our tiger’s milk-inspired dressing, made with celery from the Stechaubauer farm (see the recipe below). We also use it to marinate our farm-reared chicken legs and enrich sauces. Chicken garum brings a distinctive flavour to our ratatouille with vegetables from the Stechaubauer farm, chanterelle goulash, chicken soup, potatoes cooked in broth and Alpine ramen soup.
Recipes to try at home
Alpine TIGER dressing
33 g celery juice (celery from the Stechaubauer farm)
33 g green pepper juice (peppers from the Stechaubauer farm)
10 g lime juice
3 g Hotel Riederalm sriracha sauce (made with fermented chillies from the Stechaubauer farm)
20 g chicken garum
15 g garlic purée
3 g Hotel Riederalm herb salt
26 g egg yolk from the Schrederbauer farm
100 g Hotel Riederalm ginger oil
120 g sunflower oil
Juice the celery, including its leaves, and the green pepper separately. Combine the juices with the lime juice, then stir in the sriracha, garum, garlic purée and salt. Gradually whisk in both oils to emulsify the dressing.
Enjoy it at home, too
How can you use chicken garum at home? Add it to soups, sauces and dressings as a final seasoning, or use it to marinate meat, vegetables and eggs. It also brings extra depth of flavour to risottos, pasta and gnocchi.
Information
The finished garum was sent to the Hygienicum laboratory in Graz for analysis. You can find the report here.