Kimchee Recipe

This recipe was posted by Beth, a frequent visitor to the "Ask Sarah Board for Bakers". She writes: You may already know this- there are hundreds of types of kimchee besides the nappa cabbage version that we know best in the U.S. Some aren't even spicy and there are kinds that you eat with certain foods. I love "mul kimchee" or water kimchee. There is a museum in Korea devoted just to kimchee! That is like having a bagel museum in New York. There is a pretzel museum in Philadelphia. ........Anyway, I will ask my mom for her recipe (she will say "Oh I don't know. I just put some of this and some of that...). But for now here is a recipe from Quick and Easy Korean Cooking for Everyone:

3 heads Chinese cabbage (22 1/4 lbs, 10kg)
14 oz (400 g) salt (4% weight of cabbage)
21 oz (600g) daikon radish
1/5 oz (6 g) salt (1% weight of radish)
Marinade:
1 1/3 cups dashi stock
2T flour
2T salted shrimp
2T anchovy sauce
2 bunches chives (1 3/4 oz, 50g) cut into 1 1/2 inch (4cm) length
7 oz (200 g) finely chopped green onion (scallion)
5 1/4 oz (150g) ground chilli pepper
3 1/2 oz (100g) sugar
1 3/4 oz (50g) grated ginger root
2 T crushed garlic
dashi-no-moto (instant stock)

Discard dead outer leaves of cabbage. Cut in half. Make slit at root end, pull apart each half. If using small Chinese cabbage, cut in half. Sprinkle salt between leaves, heavily over the root side.

In a large container, place cabbage, top with a light weight and let stand a whole day and night (in summertime, overnight), turning over several times for even salting. Rinse in water; drain and set aside 30 minutes. Peel Daikon radish, shred and sprinkle with salt; squeeze out water gently.

Prepare marinade. In small pan heat dashi stock, flour, salted shrimp, anchovy sauce to boiling, constantly stirring (use a whisk).

Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning. When it forms a paste, remove from heat; cool. When completely cooled, add chives, green onion, ground chili pepper, sugar, ginger root, garlic and dashi-no-moto.

Between leaves, spread marinade paste. Grease your hand with sesame oil to prevent irritation caused by the chili pepper. Folding each section in 2, pack in rectangular container. Cover with plastic wrap, keep in cold and dark place.

NOTE: Let me know if you have trouble finding the ingredients or following the directions. I hope you live in an area where you can find a Korean grocery. Here is another website that has simple Korean recipes presented in a more accessible way, using cups instead of oz., etc. and doesn't have the x% of the weight of X business. It's also really cute. www.koreankitchen.com. You could probably modify hers and add the salted shrimp (whatever you do, DON'T leave it out. We call it fish guts even though that's not what it is technically).

Also, in Korean there is an expression "Sohn mat" which means literally "hand taste". Everyone's hands have a different mix of oils and salt (or whatever it is that hands have), so that everyone's kimchee tastes different (just clean your hands first!!!). My grandma once looked at my hands and told me I'd be a good cook. She also said I'd be good at keeping house. Ha ha! Anyway lots of times people judge a restaurant by their kimchee... at least I do cause it's always different!

Good luck with the kimchee!

beth