the raw chef | Kimchee
Chef Homestudy
Kimchee
Yields 1 quart
2 heads Napa cabbage
Water to cover
3 tablespoons sea salt
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons of f resh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of f resh ginger, f inely chopped
1 tablespoon of f resh spring onions (scallions/green onions), f inely chopped
1 teaspoon of dried red chili pepper f lakes (more if you like things spicy, less if you don't)
2 teaspoons of honey or coconut nectar
1. Separate and wash cabbage leaves. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sea salt evenly on cabbage leaves.
2. Place salted cabbage leaves in a large bowl or container, add enough cold water to cover them, cover
with plastic wrap, and place in ref rigerator overnight. Be sure that water covers all cabbage leaves.
Place a plate or other heavy object on top of leaves to ensure that they stay covered with water.
3. The next day, pour of f water and thoroughly rinse cabbage leaves. You can shake them gently in the
sink to remove excess moisture.
4. Tear or shred cabbage leaves back into large bowl. Add carrots, garlic, ginger, scallions, dried red chili
f lakes, sweetener, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
5. Use your hands to rub seasoning evenly into all cabbage leaves. If you are pressed f or time, mix
seasoning ingredients with about a cup of warm water bef ore adding them to the cabbage. This will
allow f or easier distribution on the cabbage leaves.
6. Transf er seasoned cabbage leaves into a large glass bottle. Be sure to use f irm pressure with your
hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the bottle.
7. Transf er any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the bottle as well it will become
kimchee brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them as
they are stacked in the bottle.
8. Leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the bottle bef ore capping it tightly with a lid. Allow bottle
of kimchee to sit at room temperature f or 2 3 days.
9. Your kimchee is now ready to eat. Ref rigerate remaining kimchee and take out portions needed f or
recipe. The ref rigerated kimchee will continue to f erment slowly in the ref rigerator over time,
becoming more sour and f lavourf ul with each passing day.
10. So long as you use clean utensils to take out small portions, it will keep f or up to a month in your
ref rigerator.