Kimchee recipe--who asked me for it??
Quite some time ago, someone asked me for my kimchee recipe, but as I didn't use a recipe I couldn't post it. Well, I finally made another batch, and wrote it down as I went. Also, I've a quickie-cheater "kimchee" that I like quite well so I'll post that one as well.
I hope the person who asked sees this!
Kimchee-Korean Spicy Cabbage Pickle
2 pounds Napa (Chinese) cabbage, quartered and sliced into 2 inch pieces
4 or 5 green onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
2"X2" chunk of ginger root, peeled and minced
2 T Korean chili powder*
4 whole, dried red chilies(opt.)
2 T fish sauce
2 t sugar
Salt
Dissolve 3 T salt in 61/4 cups water in large container. Add cabbage, cover with a plate or plastic lid that fits inside the container and weigh down with a jar full o f water (or other clean, nonreactive weight) so that the cabbage is all held under the salted water. Leave for 12 hours.
Drain the cabbage, reserving the salted water. Mix the cabbage with the rest of the ingredients (if using the dried, whole chilies, divide them among the jars) and pack into sterilized, screw top jars, filling the jars with the reserved liquid to completely cover the cabbage. Put the jars into a glass baking dish or other container that will hold liquid. As the kimchee ferments, it generally bubbles up and spills over a bit. Place the lids on the jars, but only very lightly screwed down�just enough to fix the lid, not seal the jar.
Leave the kimchee to ferment before covering and storing in the fridge. Timing depends on temperature and taste. The longer it ferments, the more sour it will taste. The aroma (some might say stink) when ready should smell pleasantly sour, with no raw cabbage scent and the flavor shouldn�t be salty, just sour. It might be ready in a few days in warm weather, or take a week or more if cooler. I think kimchee (like sauerkraut) tastes best when made in relatively cool seasons, as the fermentation is slower and develops richer flavor.
Notes:
Korean chili powder is available in Asian food stores. There are different grinds�you want the one that looks like small flakes rather than powder. Korean chili powder has a rich chili flavor without a lot of heat. I have seen cookbooks suggest half cayenne and half paprika, but I think that would be quite a bit hotter, and cannot vouch for it as a sub since I�ve never tried it.
This kimchee will keep in the fridge for well over a year, though as time passes, it will lose some texture.
Quick "Kimchee"
1 head cabbage�green or Napa, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup salt
2 green onions
2 T Vietnamese Chili garlic sauce
Mix the salt in with the chopped cabbage, working it in a bit with your hands. Don�t smash the cabbage, just make sure it�s evenly coated with the salt. Put the salted cabbage in a colander and leave in the sink or over a bowl to drain for several hours. The cabbage should be softened and a bit limp but not downright soggy. Rinse the cabbage well and drain. The cabbage should have a pleasantly light, salty flavor. If the salt flavor is too strong, rinse and drain again. Mix with the other ingredients. If you like, a little minced or grated ginger makes a nice addition.
Rachel,
When I posted my Korean Bolgogi dish, Gina suggested that it could be served in lettuce wraps with rice and some kimchi for added heat. I thought it sounded great.
I'd never heard of kimci, and I like your quick recipe!
Rachelellen,
I made kimchee a week ago using a recipe fairly similar to yours. I am glad you posted yours. I have high regard for your cooking knowledge and will use your recipe next time. With experience I will undoubtedly be winging it too.
Jim
Jasdip, I really enjoy the "quick kimchee" with certain dishes. It actually is more or less authentic, as Koreans eat many kinds of kimchee, some fermented, some fresh. The fermented kinds were essentially developed for the same reason Europeans developed sauerkraut and pickles, for Winter eating when fresh vegetables were difficult if not impossible to obtain.
Jim, the fish sauce makes a huge difference in the flavor, though many people (Korean and others) make it without. I guess in Korea, they often add fermented or dried anchovies or shrimp and there is also a Korean version of fish sauce that is sometimes used, which is supposed to be thicker than the Vietnamese variety.
Oddly enough, the fish sauce does not make it "fishy" just adds a richness to the flavor.
A word of warning for all of you who might like to experiment...the aroma (or odor, depending on how you sniff at it) produced during fermenting can be quite strong. My husband, luckily enough, doesn't seem to mind it, though he can take or leave kimchee himself. However, you may take some flack from other family members. ;D
Rachel:
It wasn't me who asked for a Kimchee recipe.
May have been Publicman, Lars.
Lou
Whasssamattah, Lou...you don't go for smelly cabbage? LOL!
Rachel:
Not since Korea!!! They buried it in Crocks, I think for a month.
Lou
AH HA HA HA HA! Longer than a month, I think! That was the whole Winter store, and they eat it at every meal, just about!
So did you actually eat it, or was it just the odor that turned you off?
I suspect that the long-buried stuff they were reduced to in Spring while they eyeballed the veggie garden waiting...waiting...became a taste by virtue of necessity. You know the type of thing, you ate it in childhood because you had to, and then as an adult you crave it and are frustrated that your kids just can't appreciate it.
I'll bet there are a lot of well-fed-year-round Korean American twenty-somethings who like kimchee similar to my fairly mild and shortly fermented stuff well enough, but cringe at what their parents insist is GOOD STUFF!
I love Kimchee. I have a Korean SIL and she brings Kimchee to my parents when they visit. When I went last year to stay with them, there was a gallon jar in the fridge almost full. It was almost empty when I left. LOL
My parents can't eat it anymore because of stomach issues. I just bought a package of seasoning from the Asian store and am going to make some myself. Can't wait to see if the kids like it.
Lisa
Rachel, my fish sauce is from Thailand. Can I still use it?
Lisa
Lisa, I expect so. As far as I know, various fish sauces, while made from a different ingredients are all used in basically the same way, in small amounts as a flavor enhancer. The amount used in my Kimchee is pretty small, but on the other hand it is optional as well as much Kimchee is made without it. If yours is quite a bit thicker than water, or as dark as soy sauce, you might want to use one tablespoon instead of two, just to be sure you don't end up with too strong a flavor.
I believe you, Rachelellen, that the fish sauce will make especially good kimchee. I am eager to try that in my next batch. It won't take long to use up the current batch. I will add more red pepper next time also. What I made is kind of mild for my taste. I got a BIG bag of the red pepper from an Asian store run by a Korean family. When I told them I wanted it for kimchee they quickly showed me the right one. There was nothing in English on the package which would have helped me to know it was for kimchee. It is just a bit courser than most powdered spices, similar to course ground black pepper.
I have several large daikon radishes in my garden. I will use some for kimchee. Rachelellen, do you know if it is possible to make the Japanese pickled radish at home?
Regarding the, er, pungency of kimchee, it's one of those odd things about tastes. Why are we repulsed by spoiled food but attracted to foods that are "spoiled on purpose"? Stinky cheese, for example, is very close to repulsive, and is repulsive to some, but many people love it.
Jim
Rachel:
Yes, it was longer than a month. I never ate Kimche, to me it smelled like a Garbage Can.
When I was on duty, I was in charge of the KP's.
They came in from the Village to work in the company kitchen.
You could smell it on their breath when they entered the kitchen.
They had to leave fast.. or they would be wearing a pot for an earring.
If the Mess Sargent, told them too many times, they would be history.
********************
Maybe they make it different now but
I don't think you will find many who served in Korea, that will eat Kimchi.
But for me there are many other meals I enjoy.
I'll pass on the Exotic.
Jim: Enjoy !!!
Lou
Lou, there is something unfortunate about the combination of garlic and chilies...they seem to interact together to produce the most horrendous breath and even body odor imaginable. I remember an ex-boyfriend who managed a Gym coming in to work after having Korean food for lunch. He always began his work shift with a work out, and in a few minutes began to sweat. Almost in unison, the rest of us, virtuously sweating away (with only the normal aroma), paused to hail him with our sweat towels, dirty socks and empty water bottles.
Never go out for Korean food before going to a movie theater...
Jim, if you're talking about the bright yellow, pickled daikon called Takuan, I have not tried to make it myself, but googled up this recipe which looks like a decent one.
The next thing I want to try is Rakkyo. A sweet pickle of what looks like the white ends of large scallions. Very crunchy and refreshing, and I cannot buy them anywhere closer than 2 hours away.
Here is a link that might be useful: Takuan
Rahelellen, Thanks for finding the Takuan recip! It's exactly what I wanted.
Lou, what's you opinion of limburger cheese? Just wondering.
Jim
Hi Jim:
No opinion on the Limburger Cheese.
Never smelled it and never ate it.
Lou
Love Limburger cheese served with a little oil, vinegar, sliced onions and fresh ground black pepper. Delicious.
Lisa
Limburger may be a bit OT. I mention it as an example of something which, like kimchee, is either loved or hated. And when it is hated, it is hated for its similarity to food which is spoiled, but not "spoiled on purpose. There are smells and tastes which provoke strong reactions, sometimes favorable and sometimes not.
I love kimchee and i also like limburger. I like a limburger sandwich, made with seeded rye bread, a slice of onion and mustard.
Jim