Kimchi Recipe + Guest Doodle!

Guest Doodle!  James and I then submitted it to the Granny Choe Kimchi Art Contest…and WON!

It’s Guest Doodler time!  From constructing graphics and animating Lenka Music Videos, to illustrating the new Encyclopedia of once common things, Obsolete, to designing the Brick Chair that was featured in July’s Australian Vogue – James Gulliver Hancock’s work is whimsical, fresh, and reeking of talent. And not JUST the Kimchi kind of reeking, but the unperceived with the nose kind as well.

So, when I asked James to draw what first came to mind when he heard the word Kimchi, I had no idea that his mind would think of the dish as a mathematical equation with the sum equaling 100 Parts Stinky.  Actually, I was sure that he loved the picked cabbage, but it turns out he was just being a great friend.  So thank you, James.  For being a Pal and letting me know that you will not be eating any of my Kimchi anytime soon.

Speaking of KIMCHI -There’s no better Doodle he could do than for my current culinary love – The Korean Pickled Cabbage. In the past week, I’ve had a trifecta of factual, palpable, and fantastical Kimchi revelations. In reading Wild Fermentation, I’ve been convinced of the consumption of Live-Culture Foods (Like anyone really needs convincing?!); Tony C’s audacity to put Kimchi on the BBQ at Don Dae Gam left me blissfully speechless; and the claim by Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon that Kimchi can cure Swine Flu offered some hours of humorous conversation among friends.

And so, it’s time to share my Kimchi Recipe. This Recipe is adapted from Oghee Choe’s of Granny Choe Kimchi Co., which she provided to us at the Machine Project Krautfest 09′ event. The resulting Kimchi was good, but it was quite salty and spicy; Missing were my friends acid and sugar (which I’ve become accustom to with the addition of Red Bell Pepper). I’ve tinkered with Oghee’s recipe a bit (I hope she doesn’t mind!), and the updated dish is a bit more balanced in its flavor profile.  Best of all it’s incredibly easy to make. Never spend $9 for a small jar…ever again!

Photo courtesy of Deliciouscoma.com

**Flavor-Filled Kimchi**

TOOLS:
Very large bowl (or other container to mix kimchi in)
Cutting board
Knife
Peeler (To Peel the Ginger)
Optional Garlic press
Microplane
Wide-mouth 1/2 Gallon Jar with Screw Top Lid

PREP TIME:
15 Minutes + 8 Hours (Cabbage Must Brine Overnight)
+ 3 days (Kimchi Mixture must sit outside fridge prior to putting it in the fridge)
+ Overnight in Fridge
= Ready To Eat! (Feel free, however, to taste as the Kimchi progresses. It’s fine to open the top every now and again – just know that Kimchi is like Soup – its flavors evolve over time)

Kimchi Mixture: Photo courtesy of Deliciouscoma.com

INGREDIENTS
1 large head of Napa Cabbage (salted per instructions below)
1/2 large Red Bell Pepper (1/4″ thick Julianned/Inside removed and thrown away)
1 small Daikon radish, shredded
8 Cloves of Garlic, peeled + roughly chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled + grated w/ Microplane
1 bunch (5-7) Green Onions, finely chopped (You could also use Puchu – the Korean Chive if you find it!)
½ bunch mustard greens (AKA: gat), finely chopped* ~Found at your local Asian Market~
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp white rice, cooked
1 cup Korean Red Chili Pepper Powder (Kochukaru) ~Found at your local Asian Market~
1 cup filtered H20

Directions For Salting Cabbage (Night Prior to Making Kimchi Mixture):
1. Peel the outer leaves off the head of cabbage and toss away.
2. Peel the remaining leaves off the head of the cabbage for use.
3. Dissolve ½ cup salt into 1 gallon of water in a very large bowl.
4. Place the cabbage leaves in the salt water, submerging as much as possible.
5. After an hour or two, flip the pile of leaves so that the bottom ones are on top. Let sit overnight.
6. In the morning, rinse and drain the cabbage.

Adding H20 Prior to mixing ingredients together: Photo courtesy of Deliciouscoma.com

Directions For Making Kimchi Mixture:
1. Set Cabbage aside in a large bowl.
2. **NOTE** please wear restaurant handling gloves** Add the following to the bowl and mix to combine: Julianned Daikon; Chopped Red Bell Pepper; Peel and finely chop Garlic (or use garlic press); Peel and microplane the ginger; thinly sliced Green Onion; thinly chopped Mustard Greens; sugar; salt; sugar; rice; and Korean Red Chili Pepper Powder.
3. Add the cup of Filtered H20. Mix To Combine.
4. Stuff Kimchi Mixture into the 1/2 Gallon Glass Jar to the brim. Screw top to shut.
5. Put Jar in a dark cool place (A cabinet perhaps) for 3 days and forget about it.
6. After 3 days, put the jar into the fridge overnight.
7. The Kimchi will be ready to eat when you rise and shine!

NOTES:
*Kimchi ripens as it’s stored in a refrigerator. As time goes on, lactic acid accumulates and it becomes more sour.  Kimchi is constantly evolving so as you continue to eat your creation you will begin to determine when the Kimchi tastes the best to you.
*Kimchi will remain crisp for a couple of weeks. If you want it to remain Crisp for a longer amount of time, go buy yourself a $2k Kimchi Refrigerator….!  For now, I’ll stick to my Jar.