Say ”Kimchi” 😁

by madeleine

The kimchi takes about 2–3 hours to prepare, followed by 1–5 days of fermentation at room temperature, with the flavour continuing to develop in the fridge for another 1–2 weeks. Important: Use non-iodized salt without anti-caking agents and, if possible, filtered or distilled water, as chlorine may interfere with the fermentation process.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 medium napa cabbage (about 2 lb / 900 g)
• 0.25 cup iodine-free sea salt or kosher salt
• Filtered or distilled water, as needed
• 1 tbsp grated garlic (about 5–6 cloves)
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce or salted shrimp paste
• Vegetarian alternative: 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
• 8 oz / ~225 g Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 medium scallions, cut into roughly 1-inch / 2.5-cm pieces

Method

1. Prepare the cabbage. Quarter it lengthwise, remove the cores, then cut into roughly 2-inch / 5-cm pieces.
2. Salt it. Put the cabbage in a large bowl, add the salt and massage until it begins to soften. Cover with water, weigh it down with a plate, and leave for 1–2 hours.
3. Rinse thoroughly. Rinse the cabbage 3 times with cold water, then drain for 15–20 minutes.
4. Make the kimchi paste. Mix the garlic, ginger, sugar and fish sauce/shrimp paste. Add your desired amount of gochugaru.
5. Combine. Gently squeeze excess water from the cabbage, then mix it with the paste, radish and scallions until everything is well coated. Gloves are useful here.
6. Pack the jar. Firmly pack everything into a 1-quart / ~1-liter jar. Press it down so the released brine covers the vegetables, while leaving at least 1 inch / 2.5 cm headspace.
7. Put the jar on a plate to catch overflow and leave at cool room temperature, away from direct sunlight, for 1–5 days.
8. Check daily. Open the jar once a day and press the vegetables back beneath the brine. Taste as you go.
9. Once it’s fermented to your liking, refrigerate it. You can eat it immediately, but the recipe says it’s even better after another 1–2 weeks in the fridge.