Kimchi

ma vie's version of Korean Kimchi

INGREDIENTS

3 bunch green onions [6 pc. in @ bunch], julienne cut 2” long
2 pc long radish [1.5 lbs together], julienne cut or shredded.
2 pc [3 lbs. @ Napa] cabbage, cut in half
2 ½ c sea salt

Clean bucket filled with cold water - for brining Napa cabbage

PROCEDURE:

1. Clean, and cut all veggies, set aside except for the Napa cabbage.

2. Get a clean bucket; fill with water 3/4 full for brining salted Napa cabbage.

3. Take one of the halved Napa cabbages, salt each leaf like u are opening pages of a book. Most salt should be place on the stem than the leaf of the Napa cabbage.

4. Placed salted cabbage to brine in the bucket. Repeat with the rest of the remaining cabbage.

5. If there are left over salt remaining, add to the bucket to soak the Napa cabbage for 2 hrs brining. i prefer to brine for 1 hr. to avoid salt effect on brine on Napa cabbage.

6. Use a 2 qt saucepan to make thickening paste. Fill the sauce pan with the following ingredients.

½ cup Mochiko [glutinous sweet rice flour] available in Asian markets
½ cup granulated white sugar
3 cup water.

7. Dissolve Mochiko flour and sugar in water. Place saucepan on top of stove to cook: simmering and stirring continuously to thicken and make a paste. [do not leave alone or you will have a mess!] Allow to cool, set aside.

8. Use blender or food processor, to either blend or process flavoring for thickening sauce:

3 head garlic [separated and cleaned is equivalent to 1 cup garlic]
1 Tbsp minced ginger
2 small onions, roughly chopped

Blend or process garlic, ginger and onions till thoroughly mixed.

9. Make kimchi sauce in small bowl; blend together the ff. ingredients…

4 - 6 cups dried Korean hot ground pepper flakes or powder [adjust to suite your taste, use 1/2 cups to start, adjust accdg to ur personal preference of hotness]
1 cup patis or fish sauce [use 3 crabs brand for flavor, not too salty]
2 bottles [8 fl. oz @] fresh oysters or 2 cups frozen oyster chopped roughly

To the above, add the flavoring and thickening sauce. Mix thoroughly.

10. After 2 hrs. brining Napa cabbage is over; wash off salt in running water, rinse thoroughly 3 times to take off the salty flavor from Napa cabbage. Squeeze out all excess water from cabbage, using tea towel. or place in colander to allow excess water from Napa cabbage to drip. Open each leaf like opening page of a book. Fill each leaf with the blended kimchi sauce, green onions and radish. Repeat process w/rest of the Napa cabbage.

11. Place processed kimchi in a glass bottle and store in the fridge. [do not use plastic container - affects flavor.]

12. Taste and eat some kimchi now, others, prefer fermented kimchi. I like it freshly made, not after it sits for a week or month to turns sour [some experts claim that is best time to consume.] For some reason, this recipe never turned sour, which I like, the longer it stay, the better the flavor has become.

NOTE: In Korea pickled Kimchi is stored in earthen jar, buried underground during winter for preservation. Fall season is Kimchi making time in the Korean Communities of Los Angeles, Ca., based on observation. it is also in Fall season where all kimchi ingredients is the sweetest. link below is a must read learn medicinal or healthy value of ingredients used in kimchi.

http://park.org/Cdrom/Pavilions/Kimchi/bbb.html#dropwort - learn lots of info why these herbs, veggies and other ingredient are healthy. be sure to click HOME to learn more.