Cabbage with chili flakes and small salted shrimp (Baechu kimchi)

By Kim Yong-ja

This type of kimchi is good for all seasons.

Choose a solid head of cabbage with green outer leaves. If it feels lightweight, it means the leaves are not compact.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

1 Chinese cabbage ( 2 3/4 lbs/ 1.25 kg)

Sea salt or Kosher salt

1”/2.5 cm piece radish, cut into fine strips

6~8 tablespoons table spoons

Gochugaru (chili flakes)

1 1/2”/4 cm piece ginger, cut into fine strips

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 scallions cut diagonally

1 cup Chapsalpul (sweet/ glutinous rice liquid)

2 tablespoons Saewujeot (small salted shrimp), chopped fine

1. Trim the cabbage and wash outer leaves. Slice the middle of the bottom about 4”/10 cm deep. Put your thumbs in the slit and pull it apart to divide it into two. Then divide each half into two parts.

2. While the cabbage is wilting, sprinkle salt over cut radish slices. One hour later squeeze out excess water by pressing them in your hands. Sprinkle gochugaru (chili flakes) and mix. Set aside.

This is to give radish slices crimson red color. Prepare ginger, garlic, scallion, chapsalpul (sweet/glutinous rice liquid) and saewujeot (small salted shrimp) and mix with radish strips.

3. Cut off the two large pieces of the cabbage stems and set aside. Sprinkle the scallion mixture, pine nuts and silgochu (chili thread) in between the cabbage stems and leaves.

4. Put them in the jar. Press down to reduce any air pocket. Add a cup of water to the bowl where you mixed the garlic and scallion.

Season with 1 tablespoon salt. Pour down the side of the jar to 1 soak 3/4 of the kimchi.

5. Cover the top with the large pieces of cabbage that you had set aside. Sprinkle salt on top.

Close the jar and leave at room temperature for 1 1/2 days to ripen. Then store in the refrigerator.

6. When serving, set aside the top layer, pull out a cabbage piece and cut into bite sizes.

Always put the top layer back before you close the lid.

This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi & Luni’s. ― ED.