Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage (between 2 and 3 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons pure salt, preferably coarse

Steps

1. 1Cabbage: Remove any damaged outside layers and wash the outside. Cut lengthwise into quarters, removing the cores. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Put the cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle the salt over top. Toss well and gently massage. Let stand 2 hours, gently massaging about every half hour so all the cabbage is salted evenly. You'll see the water draining from the cabbage.
2. 2Slurry: Put the rice flour in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the water while whisking to prevent lumps. As the slurry thickens, add the sugar and keep whisking. Turn the heat down a bit and keep whisking for another couple of minutes. When the slurry is thick with a slightly translucent look, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool.
3. 3Other vegetables: Peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks. Slice the green onions diagonally. Cut the pepper into matchsticks. Any other vegetable gets the same treatment (no more than about 3/4 cup each). Set aside.
4. 4Seasoning paste: Add the dry spice mix to the cooled slurry and stir well.
5. 5In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, ginger, onion, apple, and the slurry-spice mixture. Puree. Add 2 tablespoons of miso and 1/2 cup of water to begin with. Puree again, adding more water only if needed. It should be more of a paste.
6. 6Taste test. Add one more tablespoon of miso if you like, one tablespoon at a time, tasting each time. Puree again.
7. 7Rinse the cabbage: After about two hours, strain the salted cabbage and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Strain again, rinse again, and strain again to remove as much salt as possible. Drain thoroughly and gently squeeze out the extra water.
8. 8Add the matchstick vegetables to the drained cabbage and toss. Pour the seasoning paste over top and, using your hands, gently massage it into the vegetables so each piece is evenly coated.
9. 9Transfer the kimchi to a large wide-mouth glass jar. Press down firmly by hand to remove air pockets and to cover it in liquid. Leave a very generous headspace for bubbling during fermentation. Cover with an airtight lid.
10. 10You can serve kimchi right away, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. To ferment the rest, leave it on the counter for two days, opening the jar once or twice a day to let built-up air escape. Taste it each day with a clean utensil. It should start to taste a little more tangy on the second day. Then move it to the fridge. It takes about two weeks to reach its ideal fermentation and should smell and taste pleasantly sour.
11. 11Store in the refrigerator, where it keeps fermenting slowly and gets more sour over time. Remove the lid every once in a while to let built-up air escape. Whenever you take kimchi from the jar, press the rest back down so it stays covered in the sauce. It can be enjoyed at every stage.

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage (2 to 3 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp pure salt
• 2 Tbsp grated ginger, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp miso, stirred into 2 Tbsp water to make a slurry
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp red pepper flakes (or cayenne)
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 6 green onions, sliced into 1 to 2 inch diagonals

Steps

1. 1Cut the washed cabbage down the middle, removing the core. Cut each half down the middle again, then cut into bite-sized pieces (1 1/2 inches). Put the cabbage in a large bowl or tub and sprinkle the salt over top. Toss by hand to coat all of it. Let sit two hours, tossing a few times.
2. 2After two hours, strain the cabbage water out and rinse well with cold water. Strain again, rinse again, and strain again.
3. 3Add the green onions and carrot and mix well. Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, miso slurry, sugar, paprika, and red pepper flakes or cayenne. Toss well. If needed, add a tablespoon of cold water and mix it in with your hands.
4. 4Scoop into a jar and press down, covering the cabbage with the red paste liquid.
5. 5Let it sit on the counter for a couple of days, then taste it. It should have a slight tangy taste. Put it in the fridge to store. It will keep fermenting in the fridge, but more slowly. You don't have to wait for some magic day. You can start using it right away.