Spice

Korean food is something I didn’t come across until I was an adult, living in Manhattan. When I finally tried it the first time, I fell head-over-proverbial-heels in love with bibimbop, at this tiny place on St. Mark’s that isn’t there anymore. That was maybe a foregone conclusion: I love a rice-based cuisine; I’m a sucker for anything that gets served in its own special dish; and when you factor in the egg that gets cracked on top at the very end, cooking at the table from the residual (and considerable) heat of the stone bowl, it is no wonder that I was smitten.

Even so, it took me a while to figure out where kimchi fit in my life. I have only gradually acquired a taste for spice in my food. Although I grew up eating sushi, even the tiny smear of wasabi in between the piece of tuna & the ball of rice was sometimes more than I could take in my younger years. While my dad would literally drink hot sauce straight from the bottle, I limited my salsa experience to “mild,” and my Indian food to chicken korma for many years. But tastes change, palates expand, often as a result of falling in love with someone with a passion for all things spicy and fermented, and especially things spicy AND fermented.

Kimchi, for those unfamiliar, is a spicy fermented cabbage, used as a condiment, soup base, fried rice ingredient, and, if you’re C., an after-dinner snack. It’s available pre-made in Asian markets, and often in health food stores, but if you find yourself overloaded with Chinese/Napa cabbage, it’s pretty easy to make yourself. I got a couple of basic recipes from friends, and some very valuable pointers (to wit: “disposable gloves are key, bc that shit will stank up your hands like no one’s business”), made a quick run to an Asian market for sweet rice flour, and got started.

First, cut the cabbage in half.

Take a handful of kosher salt and sprinkle it between each layer of leaves, paying special attention to the thicker base end. Put the cabbage in a strainer or a bowl and let it sit for a few hours, turning once.

While that’s happening, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare the sauce. It starts with ground red pepper (which you can also buy at an Asian market, or you can put crushed red pepper through the Cuisinart for a few pulses), fish sauce, minced onion, garlic, and ginger. 

Then simmer a little sweet rice flour in water into a kind of porridge. Add a little sugar, then let it cool, and add it to the pepper/onion/etc. mixture. Stir it up, adding sliced scallions.

Once the salt has had its effect on the cabbage, drain it, rinse it thoroughly, and drain again. Then (here’s where the gloves come in handy) spread the paste between each layer of leaves. Mush the cabbage halves together, and put them in an airtight container.

Let it sit for a couple of days, venting 2 or 3 times a day to make sure the lid doesn’t blow off. By the end of the second day, you’ll see bubbles in the liquid the cabbage is sitting in. This is the sign that the fermentation is working.

Then transfer to the fridge, and basically you’re good to go then, though traditionally you wouldn’t eat it until another 2 or 3 days go by.

Now you just have to figure out how to use the stuff. But don’t worry, it lasts practically forever, so there’s no need to rush to eat it all right away. C. will be coming to the city for several weeks in July & August, and I’m sure she’ll help me come up with some things to do with my stash.

Kimchi

adapted from Maangchi

1 1/2 lbs Chinese cabbage

1/4-1/3 c kosher salt

1 1/2 Tbsp rice flour

1/2 c water

3/4 Tbsp sugar

3/4 c ground red pepper

3-4 Tbsp fish sauce

3-4 Tbsp minced onion

3-4 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1-2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, and slice into the core at the base of each half (but not through the leaves). Sprinkle the salt onto the cabbage, between each layer of leaves. Set the cabbage in a bowl or a colander and let it sit for 3-4 hours, turning once.

Simmer the rice flour with the water for a few minutes, until it thickens into a porridge. Add the sugar, cook another minute, and then remove from the heat. Let it cool.

Combine the red pepper, fish sauce, onion, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Add the cooled porridge and the scallions. Stir together to form a thick paste.

Drain the cabbage, rinse off the salt, and drain again. Put on rubber gloves and spread the pepper paste between each layer of leaves. Put the cabbage halves in a container with an airtight lid and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Open the lid 2-3 times a day to release the air.

After 2 days, transfer to the fridge. You can eat it after another 2 days.