Basic Baechu Kimchi

Basic Baechu Kimchi

BASIC BAECHU KIMCHI
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Baechu (Napa cabbage) kimchi is one of the staple foods in Korea. Spicy
and tangy, it is typically served as a side dish, with rice, but is also
found in various Korean soups and stews.

This basic version has just the fundamentals; once you're comfortable
with this version, you might try adding shredded carrots, Daikon radish,
pickled baby shrimp, or any number of other things. Search around online
for variations to try!

This particular recipe is a modified version of the recipe posted by Dr.
Ben Kim, at http://www.drbenkim.com/how-make-kim-chi.htm.

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Preparation time:

  active: 30 minutes
  soak: 4 hours
  sit: 24 hours

Yields:

  1.5 pints

Ingredients:

  1 lb. Napa cabbage ("bae-chu")
  2.5 tbl. salt
  2 tbl. red pepper powder ("kochu-garu"), preferably coarse
  1 tbl. minced garlic (~2 cloves)
  1 tbl. minced ginger
  3 green onions (chopped coarsely)
  1/2 tbl. anchovy sauce (korean-style, NOT thai!)
  1/2 yellow onion (small)
  1 tbl. honey (or granulated sugar works in a pinch)

Phase 1:

  Chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

  Add the salt to 2 cups of warm water, stirring until it is dissolved,
  and then pour the salt water over the cabbage. Toss the leaves gently to
  distribute the salt water.

  Cover the mixture and let it sit for at least FOUR HOURS.

Phase 2:

  Thoroughly rinse the cabbage to remove excess salt, and return it to the
  bowl.

  Combine the red-pepper powder with 2 tbl water to create a thick paste.
  (This will create a mildly spicy kimchi; use correspondingly more powder
  for a spicier kimchi. 3 tbl powder will make an authentically spicy mix.)
  Be careful not to get it on your hands; the red-peppers are very spicy
  and can burn your hands. Add the paste to the cabbage.

  Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, green onions, honey, and anchovy
  sauce.

  Cut up the onion however you like; cutting it coarse works well, and is
  easy, but you may like it better diced. Knock yourself out. Then add the
  onion to the cabbage.

  Toss everything thoroughly, again being careful not to get the
  red-pepper mixture on your skin. Stir until everything is well mixed.

Phase 3:

  Transfer this "pre-kimchi mass" to a quart jar (or two pint jars),
  pressing down firmly as it stacks up.

  Transfer any remaining liquid to the jar(s) as well; this will help
  form the kimchi brine.

  Leave about an inch or two of space at the top of the jar to allow the
  mixture to expand during fermentation.

  Let the jar(s) sit in a dark place at room temperature for 24 hours,
  after which it is ready to eat, or refrigerate. (Note that if you like
  your kimchi more sour, you might want to leave it out for another day
  or two, or more; myself, I don't like it very sour.)
  
  It will supposedly keep for up to a month in your fridge, but mine
  is always long-gone within a week!

Notes:

  For best results, you really ought to have a kitchen scale so you can
  weigh the cabbage. This recipe is calibrated for one pound of cabbage.
  In a pinch you can use 1/4 to 1/2 of a head of cabbage, but I've found
  that Napa cabbage heads vary widely in size. Seriously, just get a
  kitchen scale. You'll thank me for it.

  "Red-pepper powder" (called "kochu-garu" in Korean) is actually the same
  as most Cayenne pepper, although "Cayenne pepper" is a name that can be
  given to any of several different hot peppers. If possible, look in an
  asian store for "red-pepper powder"; that way it'll be most authentic.
  Kimchi works best with coarse powder, but if fine is all you've got, the
  end result will still be more than palatable!

  You can omit the anchovy sauce, but note that it won't ferment as
  successfully without it.

  Be sure you use Korean-style anchovy sauce, and NOT Thai fish sauce. The
  two are apparently not the same, and using Thai fish sauce can (so I've
  heard) result in the kimchi spoiling (going rotten) before it ferments.
  Make sure the fish sauce you get is a dark amber liquid; anything else
  will probably not work for Kimchi. If you don't live near an Asian market
  that carries Korean ingredients, you can order almost anything you need
  (including anchovy sauce) from http://hmart.com at very reasonable prices.