Pickled green papaya salad

Plus how to use your pickle brine for a savory, spicy martini

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I've spent the last couple months busily working away on my two upcoming books. The first (both in terms of deadlines and release date) is a fermentation oracle + recipe deck that's inspired by The Hidden Cosmos in that it has to do with fermentation.

However, this deck is very much its own unique work, more like a several years junior sibling to The Hidden Cosmos than a twin.

For the new deck (tentatively titled The Magic of Fermentation oracle cards, but titles can change so don't quote me on that!), I'll be collaborating with another illustrator rather than illustrating the cards on my own.

I can't wait to see how they take my interpretations of the magic of fermentation, and bring them to life with their images!

One of the recipes I'm making is for pickled green papaya salad and a companion recipe, a savory, fragrant take on a martini using that pickled papaya brine, which has instantly become a favorite in my household.

I'm excited to share all the recipes from the new deck, but I'm especially excited to share these two because so many people have requested them.

If you’re a paid subscriber, you get them now, plus some other bonus recipes this month: a pickle brine martini primer plus my thoughts on preserved citrus and fermentation weights.

If you aren’t a paid subscriber, don’t worry, the two recipes in this issue be publicly available in a couple weeks.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Green papaya salad

This salad is flavor-packed but only takes a few days to ferment, meaning you can enjoy it (and an accompanying martini or two) in less than a week after starting.

Try to get as unripe a papaya as you can: one with green skin that hasn't started to turn yellow or spotted, and whose flesh is still green and firm. Choosing a firm papaya reduces the likelihood that you'll end up with a mushy finished product (as does keeping the fermentation time short).

If you've never worked with green papaya before, it can be a bit slippery, so handle your peeling and cutting with care.

1 green papaya, peeled with a vegetable peeler and cut into thin strips

2-4 fresh red birdseye chilis, very thinly sliced

2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped

3 tbsp sea salt

2 qt room temperature water

-Combine your papaya, chilis, ginger, garlic, and cilantro in a nonreactive, foodsafe container (like glass or ceramic).

-Add the salt to the water and stir until completely dissolved.

-Pour the brine over your papaya mixture until completely covered (if you need to mix up more, I make this with a 3% brine, roughly 1 1/2 tbsp per quart of water)

-Weight your papaya to keep it under the brine, and allow to ferment for 3-4 days until fragrant and slightly tangy.

-Store in the fridge.

Pickled green papaya martini

My friends and I love to experiment with using the brines from our fermentation projects as the basis for cocktails. There's something about the pickled green papaya that is pure magic when mixed with gin (though if you prefer vodka, that works too).

2 1/2 oz gin

1/2 oz dry vermouth

1/2-1 oz green papaya pickling brine, strained

Ice

Pickled green papaya or cilantro sprig, for garnish (optional)

-In a mixing glass or shaker with ice, combine your gin, vermouth, and pickle brine.

-Shake or stir for 20-30 seconds to combine.

-Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish, if desired.

This Friday, paid subscribers will get my thoughts on preserved citrus and fermentation weights, part of my Process Pieces series where I dive behind the scenes of my writing and cooking practices and share what I learn with you.

Later this month, paid subscribers also will be getting my pickle brine martini primer, which outlines what I do when crafting a cocktail like this one and which, I hope, will give you some creative new ways to use up your pickle brine.

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