김치
cucumber ‘kimchi‘
- kimchi is fucking amazing.
- if you don’t know what kimchi is, it is a condiment made from salted, seasoned and fermented vegetables that originated from korea. it has crept its way into our western world as a healthy, probiotic and trendy food, which it is (the first two). kimchi has been made in many forms in korea since ancient times and is a staple in the home culture, with styles and flavour profiles ranging in extremes.
- kimchi is a killer source of useful lactic acid bacteria and has high anti-oxidation properties. it is just a huge bonus that it tastes delicious as fuck.
- a ‘tradtional’ kimchi flavour we all know from our favourite hipster cafes is: napa cabbage, gochugaru (korean chilli flake), garlic, ginger and usually types of jeotgal (salted seafood) which gives a greater depth of flavour and aids the fermentation process.
- kimchi is made by a slow fermentation that takes a lot of time to develop the right level of flavour and good bacteria production.
but here’s a fucking trick
- we are going to make a quick, 24 hour kimchi using cucumbers that has a low level of fermentation, but is seriously delicious.
- cucumber kimchi is a real thing, it is called ‘oi kimchi‘ in korea and is popular in the summertime. and guess what? its sunny as fuck outside, so time to up your barbecue game with this side dish that is guaranteed to please your tastebuds and and all your isolated instagram followers. lets get to it.
buy cucumbers, wash them
- we are using a 1 litre jar here, but feel free to make as small or large a portion as you like.
- wash your cucumbers (not a euphemism, but do that too) because you don’t want any unwanted bacteria (also fits the euphemism).
- slice them any way you like, but keep it smallish, this is a quick recipe.
- place in a bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sea salt on top, and massage gently into the cucumbers until the salt dissolves and they become wet. set aside for 30 minutes
- bonus round: grab a handful of the salted cucumbers into a small dish, sprinkle chilli flakes, a little honey and lime juice on top, eat them.
- after 30 minutes, pour away any excess liquid from the bottom of the bowl.
- we like the addition of carrot to this mix. it creates a nice earthy sweetness to balance all the other deep flavours we will mix. cut it small, into a ‘julienne’ (fancy chef word for wee sticks). add to the bowl with cucumbers.
- take a couple of scallions, slice them in half lengthways and cut into 1-2 inch pieces. add to bowl.
- we are adding garlic & ginger to a mix soon in this recipe alongside dried chilli flakes, which we dress the vegetables with. but we like a bit of texture over here so throw a bit of each in, if you are so inclined. the world is your lobster.
- now we develop the flavour. we are using fish sauce in place of dried seafood here, but if you really are not down with that sort of flavour, then you probably should go get a fucking big mac or something because this clearly is not for you. however, you can substitute soy sauce in place of fish sauce to use as a gate-way drug for now.
- 2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes (preferably gochugaru, korean chilli flakes)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
- 1 tsp fish sauce (korean, or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- (optional bonus) 1 tablespoon red apple or asian pear, grated.
- smash / blend / mix all together.
- pour this mix into the bowl, we used an extra addition of fish sauce because we like our shit strong. yours will be thicker, more of a paste.
- for all the panic-buyers out there who hoarded stacks of disposable gloves, throw a pair on. for all the normal people, just mix it up gently with clean hands (or a spatula or something) until the paste covers everything evenly.
- pack it tightly into a clean, sterilised jar. and that is it.
- simply store it at room temperature for 12-18 hours, then throw it in the fridge.
- you can go straight at it after 24 hours, however we think its best after around 2 days in the fridge.
- this is a simple way to ease yourself into fermentation at home, we will drop more knowledge on longer, ‘real‘ ferments soon, so keep them eyes peeled. this is only the beginning.
- for now, crack this jar open on a sunny day and enjoy your damn life.