True to Antiquity, our tuna garum unites its two elements: the liquamen, the liquid part, clear and almost floral, and the allec, a coral-coloured deposit born of the fermentation of dried tuna offal. The first brings freshness and length on the palate; the second carries the umami and its lingering finish. Seven gestures are all it takes to serve it.
Gesture 01
Stir before use
At rest, the liquamen and the allec settle together at the bottom of the jar. When serving, stir and blend them: the liquid without the allec would lack depth, and the allec without the liquid, grace. This deposit bears witness to a living product, with neither additives nor preservatives.
Gesture 02
A wooden spoon
Never metal: it oxidises the garum and spoils its taste. Lift it out with a spoon of wood or mother-of-pearl, as one serves caviar.
Gesture 03
The right measure
Garum can be used freely. More umami than salty, it need not be feared: a tablespoon is enough to give a sauce, a mayonnaise, a vinaigrette or a broth its signature. Adjust to the depth you are seeking.
Gesture 04
A finishing touch, served cold
Above all a finishing garum, it is laid on cold, at the very last moment: it is in the finish that it reveals its length. It can go into a dish as it cooks, yet its art lies in the final touch.
Gesture 05
Neither salt nor pepper
It seasons on its own: salt and pepper would mask its umami. Let it carry, by itself, the depth of the dish.
Gesture 06
Its affinities
Egg, beurre monté, cream, raw tomato, raw fish, almond, grilled vegetables: wherever umami was sought without anyone knowing its name. Our seven garum recipes reveal its full measure.
Gesture 07
Storage
Sealed, the jar keeps for a year in a dry place, away from the light. Once opened, keep it in the refrigerator and enjoy it within thirty days.
Its story, from Rome to the present day, is told in All About Garum; its flavour, in Discovering umami.