Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Carolina Kitchen: Addicted to kimchee

Mary and I go waaaaay back - all the way to elementary school, more than 30 years ago. She's counseled me on men while I've basically stood by and watched her happily marry and raise a beautiful daughter, Sarah.

We have drifted in and out of each other's lives over the years, but we always seem to pick up where we left off.

A couple of months ago, we met for lunch and to swap family specialties.

I traded one of my dad's pecan pies for a jar of Mary's mother's kimchee (or kimchi).

Masako Bell, Mary's mother, introduced me to sushi and kimchee years ago. (Once, Mrs. Bell even tried to show us how to roll sushi, but I think high school gossip and boys diverted our attention in the kitchen. I still can't make a decent hand roll.)

Anyway, I went home from lunch with a jar of kimchee secured in an upright position so there'd be no leakage during transportation, anticipating the moment of opening that jar.

Popping the lid and sticking the fork in for the first bite ... I'm salivating at the memory:

Just one more forkful, then I'll close the jar.

OK, maybe just one more.

Just one more.

And so it went until half of a 12-ounce jar was gone in one sitting.

I called Mary.

"What did your mom put in this? It's addictive. Like cabbage crack."

I think I heard snickering on the other end of the line.

I needed the recipe.

And another jar. Or two.

I know some folks don't like kimchee.

It's rather stinky (it's basically cabbage and garlic, after all) and can be rather hot (chili). Plus, there's this myth that it's hard to make.

A great aunt of mine, after the mention of kimchee, asked, "Isn't that what you make and then bury in the backyard for a couple of months before you eat it?"

Um, not really.

Korean families used to make huge batches of the stuff and, true, the jars could be buried for storage. But the quick pickling recipe allows you to eat kimchee just as soon as you make it (although it's better after about three days). And while there are many different ways to make traditional kimchee (most basic recipes call for fresh ingredients such as ginger, garlic and daikon radish), most don't include Masako's chili paste. Mrs. Bell has done what all cooks do and adapted tradition to suit her tastes.

And it's so easy.

And that's a good thing ... because I'm near the end of another jar!

Masako's Quick Kimchee

About 1 quart

1 (1-1 1/2 pounds) head Napa cabbage

4 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup to 1 cup chili garlic sauce (Masako prefers Lee Kum Kee brand), depending on your personal taste

- Cut cabbage into bite-size pieces and place in a nonreactive bowl or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Sprinkle with salt and toss. Cover and let it sit overnight.

- Add chili sauce to taste.

Traditional Korean Kimchi

About 1 gallon

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Water

2 heads Napa cabbage, cut into quarters or 2-inch wedges (leaving cabbage attached to the core), depending on size of cabbage

1 bulb garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 (2-inch) piece of ginger root

1/4 cup fish sauce or Korean salted shrimp

1 daikon radish, peeled and grated

1 bunch of green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/2 cup Korean chili powder (or red pepper flakes)

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Sesame oil (optional)

Sesame seeds (optional)

- Dissolve 1 cup salt in 1/2 gallon water. Soak cabbage in the salt water for 3 to 4 hours.

- Combine garlic, ginger and fish sauce or shrimp in food processor or blender until finely minced.

- In large bowl, combine radish, green onions, garlic mixture, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and optional sugar. Toss gently but thoroughly. (If mixing with your hands, be sure to wear rubber gloves to avoid chili burn.)

- Remove cabbage from water and rinse thoroughly. Drain cabbage in colander, squeezing as much water from the leaves as possible. Take cabbage and stuff radish mixture between leaves, working from outside in, starting with largest leaf to smallest. Do not overstuff, but make sure radish mixture adequately fills leaves. When entire cabbage is stuffed, take one of the larger leaves and wrap it tightly around the rest of the cabbage. Divide cabbage among 4 (1-quart) jars or 1-gallon jar, pressing down firmly to remove any air bubbles.

- Let sit for 2 to 3 days in a cool place before serving. Remove kimchi from jar and slice into 1-inch-length pieces. If serving before kimchi is fermented, sprinkle with a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds. Refrigerate after opening.

- from "Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home" by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

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