The combination of fennel, apple and dill has to be one of my favourite flavours. I love making a simple green apple and fennel salad or juice, so the idea to make a kraut using the same flavours brought on a lot of excitement. Just imagine what will happen to those ingredients ones they’ve undergone the magical process of fermentation. Max flavour alert!
Makes a 1l jar
1 medium white cabbage
1.5 tbsp of salt
1 fennel
1 green apple
1 tsp of toasted fennel seeds
A large handful of dill
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut in quarters and slice thinly using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage for a few minutes and leave to sit while you prepare the rest.
Remove the bottom of the fennel, cut in half lengthwise and mandolin or thinly slice from bottom up. Next, thinly slice the apple and add to the mixing bowl together with the fennel. The cabbage should have released a lot of juices by this point.
Roughly chop the dill and add it to the bowl along with fennel seeds.
Mix everything together thoroughly for about 5 minutes, massaging the cabbage, apples and fennel to ensure more juices are released.
Finally place your kraut mix into a sterilised jar, packing each layer tightly to get rid off any air pockets. At this point more juices should be released and the cabbage should be submerged entirely in its own brine. To seal the jar, place a cabbage leaf on top of the brine and press down using fermentation marbles or make your own press by filling a little freezer bag with cold water and sealing tight. Leave to ferment at room temperature for 10-14 days. Once you are happy with the taste of the kraut, place the jar in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process.
This kraut can be consumed on its own with a little drizzle of good quality unrefined sunflower oil, or add some blood oranges, jalapeños and fresh dill to turn the kraut into a delicious winter salad.
kinovino.org 