Kimchi is the most famous side dish in Korea. Each family has its own native flavor of Kimchi as cheese in western countries.
Baechu-kimchi is made by fermenting brined Korean cabbage with Korean radish, vegetables, salt-fermented seafood, ground red pepper and various seasonings. Kimchi is a quintessential side dish that is served without fail on dining tables in Korea.
- Ingredients and Preparation
a. Trim the bottom and outer leaves of the cabbage, put a deep knife slit lengthwise and split it into two parts by hands, marinate them in salt water in which half of the coarse salt dissolved, and spread remained half of the salt in between the petioles. Let it sit cutting side up for 3 hours, and then another 3 hours after turn over.
b. Rinse the cabbage under running water for 3~4 times, drain water on a tray for about 1 hour.
c. Trim and wash the radish, shred into 5cm-long, 0.3cm-wide/thick. Trim and wash watercress stalks, small green onion and mustard leaf, cut them into 4cm-long.
d. Place onions, pears, and apples with water cooled after boiled with kelps and radishes into blender contaiomer after cutting them, and then blend until smooth.
e. Wash fresh shrimps softly.
f. Mince the solid ingredients of salted shrimps finely. Soak ground red pepper in the salted shrimps juice and salted anchovy juice.
- Recipe
a. Add soaked red pepper to the shred radish, mix well, add remained seasonings, and mix well again. Add vegetables, oyster or fresh shrimps, and ground onions, pears, and apples mix softly and season with salt.
b. Pack the seasonings in between each leaf of the cabbage, fold over the outer leaves to hold the seasonings.
c. Place it one by one in Kimchi containers for a refrigerator.
After well fermented, Kimchi is laid upon the table. The best flavor is a little bit sour because of lactic acid bacteria.
Thanks to development of special Kimchi refrigerator, we can enjoy the Kimchi all the year round. Of course, there are lots of fresh cabbages all the year round but late autumn cabbages are the most favorable for Kimchi. Especially old Kimchi is the best for the stew with Kimchi and Pork.
- Refer to my blog (http://jsk33.blogspot.kr) for more photos.