Kombu Seasoning -Inspired by Fallow, London
Last November, we had the pleasure of dining at Fallow (London) and we were absolutely thrilled by the exceptional quality and unique flavours of their menu.
You can dive into our full review of Fallow here.
One element of the meal truly captivated us—and it wasn't the Cod’s head or the luscious confit Cauliflower. It was the spice on the chips and corn ribs.
These sides are sprinkled with Kombu seasoning, bursting with umami that made them irresistibly more-ish, imparting an almost meaty taste!
We were ecstatic to discover that Fallow sells its Kombu seasoning online. But when we got home and tried to order, we were stunned to see that a small jar costs £12 (fair enough) plus an eye-watering £8 delivery fee!
The delivery cost was a dealbreaker for us. We couldn't understand why it was so high and why you couldn’t buy it at the restaurant, in person. Perhaps it's just how they have to operate, but we thought, "How hard can it be to make our own?"
As it turns out, it’s not!
What is Kombu?
In the process of creating this recipe, we discovered a lot about Kombu, and we want to share it with you.
Kombu is dried kelp, a type of seaweed that’s prevalent in Japan and also found in the UK. It's a staple in Japanese cuisine, primarily used as a base for Dashi, a fundamental broth, and to add flavour to sushi rice.
What makes Kombu truly special (just like parmesan or tomatoes) is its rich natural umami content. This explains why the chips and corn ribs at Fallow taste so incredibly delicious!
Finding out how Fallow make their seasoning
One of our favourite aspects of the team at Fallow is their transparency. They openly share how they run their restaurant and prepare their dishes, and we absolutely love watching their YouTube videos.
By combining insights from their videos and the ingredient list on their website, I compiled the following ingredients they use for their seasoning:
Dried fermented chilis
Dried Kombu (Seaweed)
Smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper
Coriander
MSG
In one video, Jack (co head-chef at Fallow) explains that in their seasoning, they use the fermented chilli residue from their Sriracha sauce. We didn’t have time to ferment chillies, so we substituted that with Cayenne pepper instead.
With all the ingredients ready, it was time to experiment with the ratios. I aimed for the main flavour to be Kombu (after all it is Kombu season therefore it should be the star), complemented by the other spices.
Everyone's taste preferences in spices differ, so we encourage you to play around and find the balance that works best for you.
How to make Fallow-style Kombu Seasoning
Prepare Your Kombu
You can buy dried Kombu from many oriental stores in the UK or from Amazon. I got mine from Tian Tian Market in Canary Wharf (I love that place) on my way home from work. To prepare the Kombu, you'll need to dry it out and turn it into a powder. Here's how:
Toast the Kombu: Use a pan or the broiler function in your oven to toast the Kombu until it becomes crispy.
Cool and grind: Let the toasted Kombu cool down, then blitz it in a spice grinder or blender until it’s a fine powder.
Prepare Your Other Spices
You have two options for the spices in your mix:
Pre-Ground Spices: These are convenient and easy to use.
Whole Spices: For a more intense flavour, buy whole spices, gently toast them in a pan, and grind them fresh. This requires more effort but yields a much deeper flavour. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Get Your Ratios Right
The final step is to blend the spices to your taste. Here’s a basic guide to get you started, but feel free to experiment to find your perfect balance.
Main Flavour: Start with ground Kombu in a bowl.
Add Spices: Add a little of each spice, tweaking until you get the balance you like.
Here's the ratio I ended up using:
4 tablespoons ground Kombu
2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon of MSG
Final Blend
Once your happy with your mix, put it through your spice grinder one last time to ensure it’s well blended.
Enjoy Your Umami Treat
There you have it. A delicious spice mix that you can use on vegetables, fries, corn, meats, and more. Use this mix as a finishing sprinkle; once your meat, sides, or veggies are ready, toss them in the Kombu seasoning for that extra punch.
If you’d rather not make your own mix, you can buy it directly from Fallow on their website but as we said before the delivery is £8 - ouch!
Recipe Notes
Everyone’s spices will be different (depends how fresh they are etc.) so use these measurements as a rough guide and you can adjust your mix to your taste
You can add other dried spices and herbs if you want to experiment with flavour profiles
5g is the same as 1 teaspoon when it comes to dried spices
Whole spices that are toasted and freshly ground give a much deeper flavour than packaged ground spices
Kombu Seasoning - Fallow Style
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place large frying pan on the hob on medium heat without any oil
- Once heating, place a sheet of dried kombu on the pan to toast
- After a couple of minutes you will notice the kombu start to bubble and toast, flip the kombu over and toast the other side, careful not to burn the Kombu
- Remove the Kombu from the pan and place on a wire grill and let it cool
- If using whole spices, place your cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns onto the pan and toast for 3 minutes (until fragrant), taking care not to burn the seeds
- Remove the seeds from the pan into a small bowl
- Place the toasted seeds into a spice grinder and blitz until they have turned into a fine powder, remove and store in a small bowl
- Once the dried Kombu has cooled it should be crisp
- Break the Kombu into smaller pieces and blitz it in the spice grinder until it turns into a fine powder
- Remove the Kombu powder and place into a mixing bowl
- Add your toasted and powdered seed mix from earlier to your bowl with the powdered Kombu
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and give it all a good mix
- Put the entire mix through the spice grinder one last time for 10 seconds
- Decant the spice mix into a airtight container
Notes
5g of spice powder is the same as 1 proper teaspoon
