Kimchi
For this recipe you will need a sterilised 1.5 litre Kilner jar (minimum) and some clean rubber gloves to massage the chilli paste into the cabbage. I actually haven’t used any garlic in this particular recipe but by all means add some into the paste. (4-5 medium cloves, peeled will do).
Here I use a Napa or Chinese leaf cabbage and I kept it intact at the bottom so you get long thick strips of cabbage which look gorgeous, but cut into chunks if you prefer.
When I trained with Matthew Kenny, we used a combination of red and Napa cabbages which gives the kimchi a beautiful purple colour. This will take a week to ferment on your windowsill and you’ll need to ‘burp’ the kimchi each day. I’ve added some carrot and red pepper julienne (matchstick sizes) into the mix, but this is totally optional.
Kimchi goes really well with any ramen or pho dish (recipe here), dumplings, soups, salad, sandwich fillers…
1 medium size Napa cabbage (Chinese leaf cabbage) rinsed to remove excess grit (outer leaves discarded)
Fine sea salt
For the paste
40g peeled fresh ginger
6 red chilies
Juice of one lime
1 heaped tbsp miso paste
1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
1 tomato
1 carrot (optional)
1 red pepper (optional)
Cut the Napa cabbage into half, and then half again and then half again, so you have 8 small size long strips of cabbage. Roughly massage about a quarter teaspoon of salt into each segment of cabbage, this will draw the brine out of the cabbage, reserve to one side for 30 minutes.
To make the paste, place everything in a food processor or Nutri Bullet, blitz to combine. It doesn’t need to be totally smooth, a slightly rough consistency will be fine.
If using the carrot and red pepper, cut into match stick slices, or julienne.
Using gloves, rub the paste into the cabbage, add the carrot and red pepper and give everything a good mix.
With the same gloves, push the cabbages into the sterilised Kilner jar, pressing down to squeeze out more brine. Repeat with each segment, layering and squashing down on top of each other.
You will need an inch of space left at the top of the jar, wipe down any spillage with a clean cloth, seal and place on a window sill for a week. You will need to ‘burp’ the kimchi each day ( perhaps set a reminder on your phone - I’ve actually damaged a ceiling once by leaving it too long - whoops ), by this I mean popping the lid open once a day to release the natural pressures from the fermentation.
After 5-7 days, depending on the temperature of your room, place in the fridge, you won’t need to ‘burp’ it after this.
The flavour will intensify the longer you leave it and it will last in the fridge for 3 months.
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