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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