Chings Homemade Kimchi Recipes

KIMCHI

Steps:

• Place the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (17 grams) of the salt, and toss to coat. After 15 minutes, massage and squeeze the cabbage until it begins to release liquid. Set aside for another 15 minutes, then massage again and set aside for another 15 minutes.
• Place the daikon in a medium bowl and season with the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
• Whisk the gochugaru, water, brown sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a third medium bowl to form a coarse paste.
• To make the kimchi flavor paste, use either a mini-food processor, mortar and pestle, or immersion blender and a jar to puree the pear, onion, 10 grams (about 1/6) of the ginger, 6 grams (about 1/4) of the garlic, and the salted shrimp until smooth. Add this to the gochugaru mixture and stir to combine.
• Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the daikon without breaking the pieces and add to the cabbage, along with the scallions, the remaining ginger and garlic, and the kimchi paste.
• Position a gallon-size zip-top bag inside a pitcher or some other vessel that will allow it to be held open for loading. Wearing disposable gloves, mix the kimchi paste into the cabbage mixture with your hands, being sure to thoroughly coat the cabbage with the paste (see Cook's Note).
• Transfer the mixture to the plastic bag, then ditch the gloves and seal the bag, working out as much air as possible. The lactic acid bacteria that will magically transform the humble ingredients into kimchee prefer anaerobic environments.
• Place the sealed bag flat on a sheet pan or large baking dish and leave at room temperature until the mixture has bubbled enough to inflate the bag, at least 24 hours, but possibly up to 3 days. Transfer the kimchi and its liquid into two wide-mouthed quart-size glass jars with lids and refrigerate. Consume immediately for very fresh kimchi, or leave it for a month for a kimchi that's deeply flavored, well-rounded, and slightly effervescent.
• Refrigerated, kimchi will basically never go bad and will actually improve in flavor for months after going into the jar. Cooking will mellow its flavors, so if it gets too funky for you, it's time to make kimchi fried rice.

CHING'S HOMEMADE KIMCHI

Steps:

• Wrap 1-2 of the cabbage leaves in damp kitchen paper and refrigerate until needed.
• Place the shredded cabbage into a large, wide, deep pot or bowl. Add the salt and toss well. Pour in enough cool water to cover the cabbage and stir until the salt has dissolved. Place a plate over the bowl to fully submerge the cabbage in the salt water. Leave, at room temperature, for 6-8 hours or overnight (stir halfway through, if possible).
• Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine. Rinse the cabbage well, and squeeze out any excess water, then return to the bowl. Add the daikon and spring onions.
• Place the ginger, garlic, shallots, gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar and rice powder, if using, in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a paste. Mix the paste with the cabbage and other vegetables using tongs or gloves, until well coated.
• Tightly pack the mixture into a large, 1-litre sterilised jar, pushing it down well to ensure there are no air gaps, leaving 2.5-5cm of space at the top to allow for the juices that will be created (see the tips box for sterilising directions). Pour in enough of the reserved brine to just cover the vegetables, pressing them down a bit. Place the reserved cabbage leaves on top, pressing down, this helps to keep the kimchi submerged under the brine. You can also use a fermentation weight, if you have one, on top of the whole leaf.
• Place the lid on loosely (to allow air to escape, or use a clip top jar) and place the jar in a deep baking dish or large bowl, to collect any juices. (The idea is to keep as much of the flavourful juice in the jar as possible, so resist the urge to overfill it!)
• Leave the jar, out of direct sunlight, for 3 days. Press down on the kimchi daily with the back of a wooden spoon to keep everything submerged. After 3 days, the kimchi is ready to eat, but it won't achieve its full flavour and complexity for about another 2 weeks. Tightly seal the jar with a lid and transfer to the fridge, where it will keep for months, as long as the kimchi is submerged in the brine.

TRADITIONAL KIMCHI

Steps:

• Place cabbage and radish in a large colander. Sprinkle liberally with salt and mix to combine. Set aside for 1 hour. Add additional salt, mix, and set aside 1 hour more. Rinse cabbage and let drain.
• Meanwhile, combine garlic, onion, ginger, and rice vinegar in a blender. Add water and blend aromatic mixture on high power.
• Transfer drained cabbage to a large bowl and add aromatic mixture. Add persimmon, cucumber, green onions, and red pepper flakes and mix well.
• Transfer kimchi to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 days.