Full Interview

Fermentation represents a growing culinary trend and continues to capture the attention of notable chefs like Brad Deboy at Ellē, who uses the complex flavors from fermentation in inventive ways.

How did you first become interested in fermentation?
I’ve been a fan of fermentation for at least 15-20 years. I don’t remember how it started, but I do remember that once I had a taste of it, I wanted it all the time. I keep experimenting to find more ways to cure and age foods. For instance, you can age, cure and dry root vegetables and slice them like dried sausage. They taste like meat; and in these processes, Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Tamari help develop the flavors and the umami.

Tell me about some of the different kimchi variations you make and how different vegetables and ingredients work with each other in unexpected ways.
For a StarChefs event, I served grilled kimchi toast. I loved how the sugar and starch from the vegetable created a gooey, silky finish and the sweet contrasted with the sour of the fermented. I have also used Kikkoman Gluten-Free Tamari for a butternut squash kimchi. Wild ramps are also great in kimchi. In fact, any time you have the opportunity to ferment wild food, do it. The flavors become so much more powerful and you get to eat wild food long after its peak season.

How do you use Kikkoman products in your cuisine?
I’ve always been a fan of Kikkoman products. In fact, a Kikkoman T-shirt is part of my kitchen uniform on most days. When I first tasted Kikkoman Soy Sauce, I was hooked. Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Tamari Soy Sauce and Rice Vinegar are already fermented, so adding them to a fermentation or a brine doubles the effect. One of the great things about using Kikkoman Tamari Soy Sauce is that it can replace a shrimp paste or fish sauce in recipes to make them vegan, and no one notices. I use this replacement in my own version of XO sauce of oil, ginger, garlic, onion and toasted chili, which I cook down. I then add brown sugar, tamari and cook it down some more.

Tell me about your kimchi toast. How did that come together?
This dish came about when we were building the restaurant (Ellē). We were all really hungry, but had no equipment installed. I had fermented organic red cabbage around, and the bakery was working on some great bread, which we toasted, layered with the fermented cabbage, drizzled with the XO sauce I described above, topped with labneh yogurt cheese and finished it with sesame seeds, cilantro and tamari. It’s the first dish we made in the building, and when you hear the ingredients, they don’t sound like they should work together at all but they do. Together, they create a dish that has no comparison.

Describe some techniques and ingredients that help you achieve high-level umami.
I especially like using Kikkoman’s options to bring meatiness to meat- and fish-free dishes. Even a simple dish like potatoes and onions can taste meaty when you slow cook them. Reducing the liquid from a fermentation is another way to develop intense flavor.

Describe your culinary style.
Eclectic new American food that’s fun and challenging yet approachable and served in a neighborhood restaurant.