Save Recipe
Kimchi
This recipe is adapted from one kindly shown to us by a wonderful woman, Miwon Suh. It has a clean, fresh flavour that’s really addictive. You need Korean chilli flakes, available at Asian supermarkets, as other kinds don’t deliver the same colour or flavour.
Prep Time
30 mins
plus cooling, salting, fermenting
Serves
makes about 2 litres
Sauces & Preserves
Asian
Ingredients
1 whole napa/wong bok cabbage , (about 2kg/4lb), base trimmed, cut lengthways into sixths and cores discarded
1/2 cup sea salt, or Himalayan salt
KIMCHI PASTE
8 fat cloves garlic, peeled
2 spring onions, /scallions, finely chopped
1 unpeeled apple, or pear, grated
1/4 cup Korean chilli flakes, or more if you prefer it spicier
2 tbsp preservative-free fish sauce
1 carrot, or 5cm piece Korean turnip, peeled and shredded or grated (optional)
Method
Chop the base third of each cabbage segment into 2-3cm pieces. Place in a large non-corrosive container. Sprinkle with half the salt and use clean hands to massage for 1-2 minutes until the surfaces become moist.
Slice the remaining cabbage segments into 2-3cm pieces and layer on top, sprinkling remaining salt between layers. Set aside for at least 4 hours until cabbage is completely collapsed, and the thick white base ends can be easily bent and don’t snap.
To make the Kimchi Paste, blend or pound the garlic to form a fine paste. Mix in spring onions, apple or pear, chilli flakes, fish sauce and carrot or turnip, if using.
Squeeze cabbage, drain off any liquid and tip into a colander. Rinse thoroughly under cold water. The cabbage should taste lightly salty; if it tastes too salty, rinse again.
Return to container and massage Kimchi Paste into the cabbage (wear gloves if you like) until it’s nice and juicy.
Transfer to a 2-litre/4-pint capacity glass jar, pressing down firmly to remove air pockets and ensuring the cabbage is submerged (top up with water if necessary).
Cover loosely with muslin and a screwtop lid and leave on the bench for 1- 4 days until it starts to ferment and fizz (in winter this takes 3-4 days; in summer it can start to fizz in 24-36 hours).
Once you start to see some fizz action, cover with a tight screwtop lid and chill.
The kimchi will continue to get tangier and stronger but fermentation happens at a much lower rate. Kept airtight in the fridge it will keep for at least 6 months.
