Korean Sauerkraut Kimchi Food

KOREAN SAUERKRAUT - KIMCHI

Steps:

• Place vegetables, ginger, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey in a bowl and press with your hands or a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices.
• Place in a quart sized, wide mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage.
• The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.
• Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage. Ready to eat in about a week or two.

SAUERKRAUT JEON (KOREAN PANCAKES)

Steps:

• Prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Set aside, or prepare in advance and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.
• Prepare the pancakes: In a large bowl, combine sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice. (If you don't have enough sauerkraut juice, you can make up the difference with cold water.) Add onion, scallions, flour, starch, sugar, pickled peppers and the cold water. Stir rapidly with a spoon just until no dry flour remains. (Do not overmix the batter.) The batter should be thin enough to flow around when you tilt the bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the bottom of a flat-bottomed wok or an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. You should be able to make about two 10-inch pancakes or three 8-inch pancakes, or several smaller pancakes. Add enough batter that you can spread it into a thin pancake with the back of a spoon. Let the pancake cook, undisturbed, until the bottom of the pancake is set, about 2 minutes. Use a thin spatula to gently release the pancake from the pan if it is sticking at all. Continue to cook, swirling pancake around to encourage even browning until the first side is well browned with a few darker spots, another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Use a wide spatula to carefully flip the pancake. Continue cooking until second side is well browned, about 4 minutes.
• Slide the pancake out onto a cutting board, and cook remaining pancake batter, repeating Steps 3 and 4. Once cooked, cut into wedges with a pizza slicer or knife and serve with the prepared dipping sauce.

KOREAN CABBAGE KIMCHI

Steps:

• Dissolve the 3 tablespoons salt in the water.
• Cut the cabbage into cut into 2-inch squares.
• Put the cabbage into a large bowl, a crock, or a nonreactive pot, and pour the brine over it.
• Weight the cabbage down with a plate.
• Let the cabbage stand for 12 hours.
• Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine.
• Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients, including the 1 teaspoon salt.
• Pack the mixture into a 2-quart jar.
• Pour enough of the reserved brine over the cabbage to cover it.
• Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar, and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag.
• Let the kimchi ferment in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 68° F, for 3 to 6 days, until the kimchi is as sour as you like.
• Remove the brine bag, and cap the jar tightly.
• Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.

QUICK KIMCHI

Steps:

• Slice the cabbage into 2.5cm strips. Tip into a bowl, mix with 1 tbsp sea salt, then set aside for 1 hr. Meanwhile, make the kimchi paste by blending the garlic, ginger, fish sauce (if using), chilli sauce, sugar and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
• Rinse the cabbage under cold running water, drain and dry thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl and toss through the paste, along with the radishes, carrot and spring onions. Serve straight away or pack into a large jar, seal and leave to ferment at room temperature overnight, then chill. Will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks - the flavour will improve the longer it's left.

KOREAN KIMCHI

Steps:

• Cut the cabbage leaves into 2 inch long pieces. Spread 1/4 of the leaves into a large, non-metallic bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 of the salt. Repeat layering all of the cabbage has been salted. Let stand at room temperature until a lot of liquid has been pulled from the leaves and the cabbage is tender, 3 to 4 hours; drain. Rinse the cabbage in 2 or 3 changes of water. Drain again very well and return the cabbage to the mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle the cabbage with the minced garlic, green onions, MSG, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with additional salt and toss until evenly combined. Pack the mixture into a sterilized gallon-sized glass jar. Cover the jar with wax paper and a loose fitting lid so the seal is not airtight.
• Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature until it reaches the desired degree of sourness, 2 to 5 days. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.