Chinese Cabbage Recipes

KIMCHI – 29/07/2015

A recipe for kimchi adapted from Epicurious by Montreal West farm member Rosemary Reilly. Kimchi, also spelled kimchee or gimchi, is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. It is often described as spicy and sour. In traditional preparation, kimchi is often allowed to ferment underground in jars for months. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made from Napa (also called Chinese) cabbage, radish, scallion, or cucumber as a main ingredient.

INGREDIENTS & PREPARATION

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • Water
  • 2 heads Napa (or Chinese) cabbage, cut into quarters or 2-inch wedges, depending on size of cabbage
  • 1 bulb garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  • 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger root
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce or Korean salted shrimp
  • 1 Asian radish (daikon), peeled and grated
  • 1 cup carrot thin sticks (optional)
  • 1 bunch of green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1/2 cup Korean chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • Sesame oil (optional)
  • Sesame seeds (optional)
  1. Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1/2 gallon water. Coarse slice cabbage, and soak in the salt water for 3 to 4 hours.
  2. Combine garlic, ginger, and fish sauce or shrimp in food processor or blender until finely minced.
  3. In large bowl, combine radish, green onions, garlic mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and optional sugar. Toss gently but thoroughly. (If mixing with your hands, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid chili burn.)
  4. Remove cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly. Drain cabbage in colander, squeezing as much water from the leaves as possible. Mix cabbage into the radish mixture thoroughly. Divide cabbage among 4 (1-quart) jars or 1-gallon jar, pressing down firmly to remove any air bubbles.
  5. Let sit for 2 to 3 days in a cool dark place before serving (put a plate under the jar). If serving before kimchi is fermented, sprinkle with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate after opening.

Note: Kimchi will be good enough to eat straight for up to about 3 weeks. After about 4 weeks, once the kimchi gets too fermented to eat by itself, use it to make hot pots, flatcakes, dumplings, or just plain fried rice.