napa cabbage kimchi

kimchi is the quintessential korean food. a korean meal without kimchi is inconceivable! made by lactic acid fermentation process, it is low in calorie, high in fiber and full of antioxidants. kimchi making is a multi-step process and it takes time and effort. i had a few epic kimchi disasters of my own in the beginning, but after a few trial and errors, i was able to solidify my recipe. taste approved by some fastidious kimchi eaters, I have been making lots of kimchies using this recipe! there are many variety of kimchi, and this recipe is for the most traditional kimchi (poh-ghi-bae-choo-ghim-chi).

remove any outer leaves that may have been wilted or damaged.

cut a 2"-3" deep slit into the core.

with your hands, gently pull the cabbage apart.

into two halves.

if your cabbage halves are too big, cut a slit into the core.

pull apart into quarters.

under cold running water, clean thoroughly between leaves.

starting from the bottom, sprinkle the salt on the white stem part of each leaf.

the cabbages should be submerged about 75% as more liquid will be drawn out from the cabbages during the brining process.

weigh them down with a plate and don't forget to turn them over 3-4 times for even brining.

do not discard the green onion roots! clean them thoroughly and add to your stock.

shredded dried pollock is called "boog-uh-chae" or "hwarng-tae-chae" in korean depending on the drying methods.

after bringing to a boil, simmer on low heat for about 20 min.

strain through a sieve and discard the cooked vegetables and pollock pieces.

add sweet rice flour to fish stock and stir constantly until a smooth paste is formed.

asian pears

use a blender to puree onion, peeled asian pear, garlic and ginger. cut onion and pear into smaller pieces and add a few Tbsp. of water to prevent the blades from getting stuck. alternatively, if you don't have a blender, you can grate them with a grater.

basic kimchi paste = fish stock/sweet rice flour paste + pear/onion/garlic/ginger puree + fish sauce + hot pepper powder + sweeteners

you can make the kimchi paste in advance or make extra for later use and freeze in a ziploc bag - flattened.  

you don't want to substitute or skip green onions or radish! they are vital ingredients for a good kimchi. however, you can use carrots or apples instead of sweet potato.

korean sweet potatoes - purple skin & yellow flesh.

peel the sweet potato skin with a peeler. first cut into thin round slices (approx. 1/8" thick) then cut into thin sticks.

peel the radish skin with a peeler. first cut into thin round slices (approx. 1/8" thick) then cut into thin sticks.

cut green onions into 3" long sections then cut into thin strips.  

after brining, wash the cabbages under cold running water. make sure to thoroughly wash between leaves.

gently squeeze out excess water and drain well on a strainer (cut side down).

i recommend wearing these plastic sanitary gloves or rubber gloves when handling the kimchi paste. the paste can stain your hands and make your hands sting.

combine the vegetables and the kimchi paste.

starting from the bottom, gently rub and coat each leaf with the vegetable kimchi paste mix.

then wrap and fold each cabbage with its outer leaf.  

pack in to a clean jar or container, but leave about 2" room from the top to prevent from overflowing. as the fermentation continues, more liquid will be drawn out from the vegetables. the photo shows (1) one gallon jar and (1) half gallon jar.

napa cabbage kimchi (poh-ghi-bae-choo-ghim-chi)

ingredients:
(2) medium napa cabbages ("bae-choo")
(10) green onions with roots
 - cut the roots off and save them for the fish stock.
(1/2) large korean radish ("moo") or daikon radish (approx. 3" in diameter, 4" long)
(1) medium korean sweet potato
- i add korean sweet potato to my napa cabbage kimchi for its sweetness and crispness. carrots, mustard greens, apples, and water dropworts are among common ingredients added in kimchi. some regional recipes call for fresh seafood (fishes, oysters, squid, shrimp etc.).

for salting & brining:
(1-1/2) cups coarse salt for salting
(2-1/2) cups coarse salt for brining solution
(20) cups or (1-1/4) gallons of luke warm water
- salt (salting + brining) to water ratio = 1 : 5

for fish stock**:
(3) cups water
(5) pieces shredded dried pollock ("boog-uh-chae" or "hwarng-tae-chae")
(2) dried shiitake mushrooms
(10) green onion roots
(1/2) medium onion
- you can skip the stock and use water instead, but this extra step makes a world of difference..!!

for spicy kimchi paste:
(1-1/2) cups fish stock **
(1/2) cup sweet rice flour
(1/4) asian pear, peeled and deseeded.
(1/2) medium onion
(10-15) cloves garlic
(2) small ginger slices
- ginger to garlic ratio = 1 : 5
(2) Tbsp. water
(3/4) cup fish sauce
- i use anchovy fish sauce ("myeol-chi-ack-jeot") or sand lance fish sauce ("ka-na-ri-ack-jeot").
(1) cup coarse korean hot pepper powder
(6) packets sweeteners
- i use splenda. some use sugar instead of sweeteners, but i find that sugar makes kimchi gooey.

directions:
part 1 - prep the cabbages
1. remove any outer leaves that may have been wilted or damaged. 
2. cut a 2"-3" deep slit into the core. with your hands, gently pull the cabbage apart into two halves. if your cabbage halves are too big, split them further into quarters.
3. wash and clean the cabbages under cold running water. make sure to clean between leaves.

part 2 - salt and brine the cabbages
1. use (1-1/2) cups to salt the cabbages. place a cabbage half/quarter in a clean sink or container (cut side up). starting from the bottom, lift each leaf and sprinkle the coarse salt on the white stem part.
2. in a container large enough to hold the cabbages, add (20) cups or (1-1/4) gallons lukewarm water and dissolve (2-1/2) cups coarse salt.
3. add the salted cabbages in the brine. if there isn't enough liquid to cover, add a solution of (1) cup water + (3) Tbsp. salt until the cabbages are submerged about 75%. 
4. weigh down with a plate and brine for 5-6 hours. turn the cabbages over 3-4 times during the brining process. the cabbages are ready if the thick white stem part is pliable.
5. wash the cabbages thoroughly under cold running water. make sure to wash between leaves. gently squeeze out excess water and drain well on a strainer (cut side down).

part 3 - make the spicy kimchi paste
1. first make the fish stock. in a medium pot, add (3) cups water, (5) pieces shredded dried pollock, (2) dried shiitake mushrooms, (10) green onion roots, and (1/2) medium onion. bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 min.
2. strain the fish stock through a sieve and add (1-1/2) cup of the stock back to the pot. you can discard cooked vegetables and pollock pieces. 
3. on medium-low heat, slowly stir in (1/2) cup sweet rice flour to the stock. stir constantly until the flour is completely mixed with the stock forming a smooth paste. turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
4. in a blender, puree (1/4) asian pear, (1/2) medium onion, (10-15) cloves garlic, and (2) small ginger slices. cut the pear and onion into smaller pieces and add (2) Tbsp. water to prevent the blades from getting stuck.
5. in a bowl, combine the puree, the cooled paste, (3/4) cup fish sauce, (1) cup coarse korean hot pepper powder and (6) packets of sweeteners.
- this is my basic spicy kimchi paste. i use this paste for almost all spicy kimchies (e.g. young radish kimchi, persimmon kimchi, sweet potato kimchi, mustard green kimchi, ponytail radish kimchi). i usually make a large batch in advance, store in ziploc bags and freeze for later.
6. julienne (10) green onions into approx. 3" long strips.  
7. peel and julienne (1) sweet potato and (1/2) large radish into approx. 1/8" thick x 3" long sticks.
8. combine the sliced vegetables with the kimchi paste.

part 4 - make the kimchi!
1. in a large container, place a cabbage half/quarter (cut side up). starting from the bottom, lift and coat each leaf with the vegetable kimchi paste mix. apply a little extra on the thicker stem portion close to the core.
2. wrap and fold each cabbage with its outer leaf and coat the outside with the paste.
3. pack into a clean jar or container (make sure the mouth of the jar is wide enough for the cabbages!), but leave about 2" room from the top for the liquid that will be drawn out from the vegetables during the fermentation process.
4. you can eat the kimchi right away or leave it out at room temperature for 2-3 days for initial fermentation. then store in the refrigerator. the kimchi flavor will get more sour and concentrated with time. kimchi itself is a great side dish, but you can also make a variety of korean dishes using fermented kimchi - e.g. kimchi stew (ghim-chi-jji-gae), kimchi fried rice (ghim-chi-bok-eum-bop), kimchi pancake (ghim-chi-jeon).

yield: (1) 1-1/2 gallon jar