Monday, June 29, 2015

Kimchi - Round Two!

I'm telling you, this is so good I could sell it.
INGREDIENTS

I large Bok Choy (or the equivalent in smaller ones.  I want to try this at some point with a bunch a baby Bok Choy)
.25 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
.75 cups Korean chili powder, also called Gochugaru (The courser form is better)
1 bunches of scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
.25 cup ginger, minced

PREPARATION

1. Cut the Bok Choy crossways into inch wide sections. Put the cabbage in a big bowl and use your hands to toss it with the salt. Pour in cold water to cover the Bok Choy. It will float, so invert a plate on top to keep it submerged. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it out overnight.

2. The next day, use your hands to lift the cabbage out of the brine and put it in a big bowl. (Keep the brine, too.) In a small bowl, make a chili paste of the soy sauce, fish sauce and Korean chili powder. (Check the ingredients list to make sure you get pure chili powder, not the kind that has salt mixed in.  It can help to have a Korean friend or someone who reads Korean!)

3. Add the chili paste to the cabbage along with the scallions, garlic, ginger and mix the Kimchi well. Pack it into hard plastic or glass container/s. Pour in enough of the brine to cover the vegetables.  I pack mine so tightly that I only need to use a couple of tablespoons of brine to fill the jar without air pockets.

4. Cover the containers and leave out at room temperature (but not more than 75 degrees, or it ferments too fast). Taste it after three or four days, and every day after. As the vegetables shrink, the Kimchi can be combined in ever-smaller containers; just keep it covered with brine.  In the beginning it will give off gases and leak some liquid.  I leave mine on some folded paper towels to catch the run-off.  This stops when it's done fermenting--4-7 days.

The beauty of Kimchi is that you can experiment with any sort of cabbage, some add carrots, others all manner of radishes.  It's up to you, really!

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