How to make the fermented chiles from City House, one of 'Best Pizza Places in the US'

They're veggie geeks in the kitchen at City House. You could easily be fooled into thinking that's not the case given its status as one of the 22 restaurants highlighted by the New York Times as the best pizza restaurants in the country.

But read between the lines and you'll note that even the pizzas served at this comfortable Germantown neighborhood fixture, opened by James Beard award-winning chef Tandy Wilson in 2007, highlight local and seasonal produce.

"If it’s tomato season in Tennessee — as it is right now — keep an eye out for pizza inspired by Mr. Tandy’s mother’s favorite tomato sandwich, or one dotted with morsels of the juicy peaches that ripen around the same time," wrote Times contributing food writer Brett Anderson.

It is, in fact, tomato season in Tennessee, and as of Aug. 5, that very pie, with cheesy mayo, sliced tomatoes, garlic and a hint of lemon and spice, was on the menu.

But it's also hot pepper season in Tennessee, as those of us with Nashville gardens can attest, and you can find those all over the menu at City House as well.

In particular, City House's cooks are excited about chef de cuisine Brad Midgett's fermented chiles. And Midgett's not shy about sharing his method, which requires no specialized equipment.

“Something that seems intimidating is really quite simple," he said. "If you’ve got a mason jar and a cabinet, the right percentage of salt and water, all you have to do is get some chiles.”

Here's his method.

City House is at 1222 Fourth Ave N, Nashville, Tennessee. More at cityhousenashville.com.

Brad's basic fermented chiles 

All you need for this recipe is kosher salt, water, the hot chiles you'd like to ferment and the vessel you'd like to ferment them in. I like a large Mason jar. I also like using whatever hot peppers are growing in my garden. Right now, I have jalapenos and fish peppers, but you can use anything with (and even without) a kick. —Mackensy Lunsford, Southern KItchen editor

Instructions

Fill a mason jar or fermenting crock with desired chiles (stems and seeds removed). Pack the chiles as tightly as possible, pressing firmly to slightly bruise the peppers.

Mix a 5% salt water brine. You’ll need roughly half the volume of the chiles. If you have a quart jar of chiles, you’ll need roughly two cups of brine.

Weigh your water (in grams) and multiply by 5% to determine your kosher salt amount, and dissolve salt in water. Pour just enough brine over the chiles to cover them.

Use a ramekin or fermenting weight to fully submerge the chiles. Loosely put the lid on the jar and place the jar on a plate in a cool, dark location. 

Allow to ferment for at least two weeks. After two weeks begin tasting, and refrigerate the chiles in brine when they reach desired taste and texture. 

Pro tips 

Midgett's favorite chiles to use are Numex, Zavory and Habanadas, all fruity chiles that have had the heat bred out of them.

"With these varieties, you can enjoy all the wonderful flavor the chiles have without melting your face off," he said. "Spicy varieties can always be added into your ferment to adjust the heat level." 

Fermented chiles are wonderful by themselves or can be turned into hot sauce.

To make hot sauce:

• Drain fermented chiles, reserving the brine. 
• Place chiles in a pot and add just enough liquid to cover them. I prefer to use a roughly 50/50 mixture of reserved brine and distilled vinegar but any combination of brine, vinegar and water can be used.
• Bring pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot, allowing the chiles to steep. After about 10 minutes of steeping, remove the lid and allow the contents of the pot to cool. Once cooled, transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. 

The brine is also excellent as a shot by itself or used to mix into a dressing or marinade. You can also add other aromatic vegetables to your ferments, including onion slices and garlic cloves.

Brad's fermented green chile + garlic mash

For this recipe, you'll want to start with green chiles with their seeds and stems removed. You can use serrano, jalapeño, poblano or a combination based on your desired heat level. 

Determine the weight in grams of your cleaned chiles, and multiply your pepper weight by 6% to find the garlic (whole cloves) amount. Add chile weight and garlic weight together and multiply the total weight by 3%. This will be your kosher salt amount. You are not making a brine, just salting the produce until it releases its own water.

Put cleaned chiles in a food processor and pulse until chiles are finely chopped. Transfer chiles and any juices released to a mixing bowl. 

Chop the garlic finely and add to the bowl. Add salt and mix well. 

Leave the bowl out for one hour, stirring periodically to allow the salt to draw moisture from the chiles and garlic. 

Transfer the contents to a clean quart mason jar and cover with cheesecloth.

Put the jar in a cool, dark place and stir daily. The ferment will continue to release liquid, and after a few days the mixture will smell sour, turn army green and become fully submerged. I prefer to allow the mash to ferment for at least 10 days for the flavor to fully develop, but it can be enjoyed at any point in the process. 

Once the desired fermentation is reached, add a splash of distilled vinegar to stop the fermentation and refrigerate.