Kimchi

Directions

1. Cut up a head of napa cabbage into quarters. Remove the core from each section, then chop the leaves into 1-2 inch pieces.
2. In a large bowl, place a layer of napa cabbage in and put a layer of coarse sea salt on top. Repeat this process until you have no more napa cabbage left. This process draws out the moisture in the leaves and it can take 1-2 hours.
3. While you wait for that, prepare the kimchi paste. Blend together 1 head of garlic (⅓ cup), 1 small knob of ginger, ½ an Asian pear, ½ of a medium yellow onion, and ½ cup of Red Boat Fish Sauce. Blend this until there are no chunks.
4. Prepare the vegetables: chop 1 bunch of green onions to 1 inch pieces. Peel the skin off of a Korean daikon and cut 1 cm thick rounds. Cut each round into quarters. Place both into a separate container for later.
5. Peel and quarter a medium potato and boil this with salt until soft. This can take 10-15 minutes. Once this is done, mash it in a bowl until smooth and free of lumps. Set aside.
6. Once the cabbage is done, rinse it thoroughly in a strainer to remove excess salt and liquid.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the kimchi paste, mashed potato, and ½ to 1 cup of gochugaru (adjust for spice level). Mix thoroughly with your hands until it is combined.
8. Add the Korean daikon and green onions into the bowl. Mix well.
9. Finally, add the rinsed napa cabbage and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
10. Transfer the kimchi to an airtight container. Let this sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours to ferment.
11. After fermentation, move the kimchi to the refrigerator. It’s best enjoyed after 3 day- but gets even better with time!