This pickled and fermented Napa cabbage is the most popular and recognizable form of kimchi. Baechu kimchi is not only good as a side dish to almost every Korean meal, but it is also the foundation for many soups, stews, stir fries, and rice dishes.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 72 hours
Total Time: 72 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10 cups of water
- 2 Napa cabbages, washed and cut into 2-inch squares
- 1 cup coarse salt (or kosher or sea salt)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped ginger
- ½ cup red pepper flakes (kochukaru)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 5 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- fish sauce, optional*
Preparation:
- In large nonreactive bowl or pot, mix salt into water.
- Add cabbage to salt water and if necessary, weigh down with large plate so leaves are all submerged.
- Soak cabbage for 5-6 hours.
- Remove cabbage and rinse in cold water, squeezing out excess liquid.
- In a large bowl, mix garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sugar, and scallions.
- Add cabbage and coat with seasoning mixture.
- Pack the seasoned cabbage into a large airtight jar with lid.
- Let kimchi ferment in a cool place for 2-3 days before serving or putting in refrigerator.
(Serves 12)
*There are countless ways to make kimchi, but traditional recipes usually include fish sauce, brined tiny shrimp or fresh oysters. Try 2-3 Tbsp of fish sauce or 2 Tbsp of chopped brined shrimp if you'd like to experiment. I am always nervous about people oversalting their kimchi. Because every fish sauce and brined shrimp has a different amount of salt, I advise you to use them sparingly if you've never made kimchi before.
