Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Kimchi.

Of course I have to do a post on kimchi.  This post is for all Korean's in Korea suffering kimchi shortage.  It is true.  Country is in a turmoil.

Ingredients
2 heads of Napa cabbage (quartered)
1/2 Daikon radish.
1 bunch of green onions.
2 cups of sea salt or kosher salt, enough to coat the cabbage inside and out. 
Water, enough to cover the cabbage while brinning. 
Prepare cabbage.
Coat the cabbage inside and out with salt.
Cover with water and let it sit in cool spot in your kitchen for at least 4 hours.
Rinse well, at least 3 to 4 times squeeze all the water out.

Mean while julienne the radish and chop green onions.

Kimchi paste
1 whole garlic peeled and roughly chopped
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped.
Korean pepper flakes. 1 cup. depending on hot spicy you like it.
1 large Korean pear or 2 Bosc pears peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 onion roughly chopped.
2 TBSP of kosher salt.
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of fish sauce (preferably 3 Crabs brand)



Add all the ingredients and puree them in blender or food processor till it
becomes and paste. Should be slightly watery paste. Taste. It should taste like good kimchi.
Add the julienned radish and chopped green onions.

Here is the important part. Use you hands. ( I wear rubber gloves)

Add all the ingredients except for the cabbage and mix well.
in a large bowl coat the cabbage with the kimchi mixture inside and out.
Make sure to add to every layer of the cabbage.
After done rolled the cabbage (liked cradled) with all the sauce put them in a sealed container and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 2 days.
Refrigerate for 1 week.
It should be ready to eat once it is refrigerated.
Gets better as it ages.

*note.  There are many options to making kimchi.  You can add salted shrimp, more chili powder, some traditional recipe's call for making the paste with rice flour.