Blackened Koji Recipe
Blackened koji is koji that has been cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time. Over that period, the m
aillard reaction and caramelization transform the koji into a softer texture with sweeter and deeper flavors.
Blackened koji is similar to black garlic in its taste and texture, though blackened koji’s aroma is more stout-like. You can use blackened koji as:
Aromatics: Infuse broths or creams (e.g. for ice cream) as you would with other aromatics. Empirical Spirits in Copenhagen even used blackened koji in their Onyx spirit (a collaboration with Lyaness).
Oil: Dehydrate the blackened koji, blend it with 2x the weight in neutral oil, then strain.
Spice or flour: Dehydrate the blackened koji then blend to a fine powder.
A maillard shortcut (props to Logan Hester for this idea!): Add blackened koji to quick garums to simulate the maillard reaction more typical of a traditional garum.
While black garlic takes a month to make, blackened koji only takes a week. I imagine this is due to (1) the amylase in the koji promoting the substrate’s breakdown into simple sugars at the specified temp and (2) the relative efficiency with which sous vide distributes heat.
REcipe
I used fresh barley koji for this recipe, but I’m sure it will work just as well with fresh rice koji. If you use dried koji, it might be worth hydrating the koji first (as the liquid helps with the hydrolysis performed on the substrate).
Vacuum seal your koji.
Cook your koji sous vide at 140ºF for one week.
That’s it!
