Home Made Kimchi

No doubt about it, kimchi is an acquired taste. But once familiarized with its fiery, tangy crunch, it’s addictive. Thanks to the rise of Korean-American chefs like Roy Choi and David Chang kimchi has found felicitous mash-ups with other cuisines, notably Mexican. I particularly like a big blob of cool kimchi on top of pasta marinara or Bolognese. Seriously satisfying.

This pretty celadon crock was found at Pearl River in NYC’s Chinatown. I bet you can find something similar at other Asian markets that have housewares. A large glass jar works fine too, just be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight.
Or for a really old-school alternative you could bury the vegetables in an underground pit with a ventilating hole in the top. But you’ll have to look elsewhere for instructions for that.
I do go a little natural with a well-scrubbed rock as a weight, which is both practical and a symbolic link to kimchi’s earthy heritage.
HOME MADE KIMCHI RECIPE

1 large Napa cabbage
2 carrots
1 daikon radish
1 bunch scallions
1 pear
2 ” piece of fresh ginger
1 head of garlic
2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup cayenne pepper powder
2 Tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1. Trim the root ends of the cabbage. Cut it in half lengthwise. NOTE: for the soaking and salting steps take care to keep the cabbage leaves intact.

2. In a bowl large enough to hold the cabbage mix 1 cup of the salt with water and submerge the cabbage. Let soak for 1 hour.

3. Drain the cabbage. Shake dry.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup salt over the cabbage halves, working the salt down between the leaves.  Put in a large colander and let drain for 2 hours or until the cabbage is very limp.

4. Taking care to keep the leaf layers intact, rinse very well under running water. Drain well.

5. Prepare the other vegetables: peel the carrots and cut into 1″ matchstick lengths.  Cut 1/3 of the radish into thin disks, cut the remaing radish into 1″ matchsticks. Wash and trim the scallions, cut into 1″ lengths.

5. Make the marinade: Core and roughly chop the pear. Peel and chop the ginger and the garlic (the whole head). Put the pear, ginger and garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the red pepper and fish sauce. Blend into a very fine paste, scraping down the sides as you go.

6. Remove 3 or 4 large outer leaves of the cabbage and set aside. Cut the remaining cabbage into 2″ chunks, cross-wise. Transfer them to a mixing bowl, still keeping the layers as intact as you can.

7. WEAR RUBBER GLOVES: Mix the chili paste with the carrots and daikon matchsticks. Spread the chili paste over the cabbage and into the cabbage leaves. Massage the paste down into the cabbage layers. When the chili is mixed in well, tuck the radish disks in between the cabbage leaves.

8. Transfer the cabbage pieces to a crock or large jar. Push the cabbage down into the vessel to submerge it in the juices. Tuck the whole cabbage leaves over the top and down the sides to cover. Use a weight to keep the cabbage covered in juice.  Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for 5-7 days.  Check occassionaly to make sure everything is covered in liquid.

9. After a week the kimchi should be very fragrant and zesty.  Transfer the kimchi to clean jars and store in the refrigerator.  It might be a little bubbly when you open the jars, that’s okay, it’s just further fermentation.

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