Chings Homemade Kimchi Food

CHING'S HOMEMADE KIMCHI

Steps:

• Wrap 1-2 of the cabbage leaves in damp kitchen paper and refrigerate until needed.
• Place the shredded cabbage into a large, wide, deep pot or bowl. Add the salt and toss well. Pour in enough cool water to cover the cabbage and stir until the salt has dissolved. Place a plate over the bowl to fully submerge the cabbage in the salt water. Leave, at room temperature, for 6-8 hours or overnight (stir halfway through, if possible).
• Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine. Rinse the cabbage well, and squeeze out any excess water, then return to the bowl. Add the daikon and spring onions.
• Place the ginger, garlic, shallots, gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar and rice powder, if using, in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a paste. Mix the paste with the cabbage and other vegetables using tongs or gloves, until well coated.
• Tightly pack the mixture into a large, 1-litre sterilised jar, pushing it down well to ensure there are no air gaps, leaving 2.5-5cm of space at the top to allow for the juices that will be created (see the tips box for sterilising directions). Pour in enough of the reserved brine to just cover the vegetables, pressing them down a bit. Place the reserved cabbage leaves on top, pressing down, this helps to keep the kimchi submerged under the brine. You can also use a fermentation weight, if you have one, on top of the whole leaf.
• Place the lid on loosely (to allow air to escape, or use a clip top jar) and place the jar in a deep baking dish or large bowl, to collect any juices. (The idea is to keep as much of the flavourful juice in the jar as possible, so resist the urge to overfill it!)
• Leave the jar, out of direct sunlight, for 3 days. Press down on the kimchi daily with the back of a wooden spoon to keep everything submerged. After 3 days, the kimchi is ready to eat, but it won't achieve its full flavour and complexity for about another 2 weeks. Tightly seal the jar with a lid and transfer to the fridge, where it will keep for months, as long as the kimchi is submerged in the brine.

KIMCHI

Steps:

• Chop the Chinese leaf into bite-size pieces, weighing it until you have 2kg, then wash under running water. Mix the Chinese leaf with the salt and the seaweed in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Every now and then, over the course of 3-4 hrs, mix the salted Chinese leaf and seaweed with your hands. (You will start to see liquid being released.) You want to be able to bend the Chinese leaf without breaking the pieces.
• Meanwhile, shred the carrot and leek, and chop the spring onions. Set aside. Make the chilli paste by blitzing the onion, garlic, ginger and pear in a food processor until puréed. Add the chilli flakes, then blitz again to combine. Drain the Chinese leaf mixture, removing as much water as you can. This may take about 10 mins.
• Toss the Chinese leaf mixture with the other vegetables, then mix in the chilli paste to coat everything. Tip into a 2-litre sterilised jar. Try not to have too many air pockets and leave a 1-inch space under the lid. Put a fermentation weight on top, or if you don't have one, try using some baking beans in a bag. Keep a plate under the jar in case of overflow. After 24-48 hrs you will begin to see bubbles appearing. That means fermentation is underway.
• At any point during the fermentation, you can taste the kimchi to see how you like the flavour. I prefer to keep mine in the fridge after day 3 to slow down the process and start enjoying it. You can transfer the kimchi into smaller jars for easy access from the fridge. It also makes a great present for family and friends.