Aside from barbecue, kimchi is probably the dish most synonymous with Korean cuisine. This
fiery red, funky, fermented cabbage is on the table every meal—breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
365 days a year. It is one of the cornerstones of Korean cooking, and Koreans consider it vital
to their daily diet. This recipe is an adaptation of the one we use at my restaurant, Jinjuu.
Kimchi making may look daunting, but don’t worry, it’s really very straightforward. You’ll just
need to have one or two very large bowls for the brining of the cabbage and a large container to
ferment it in. Also, I highly recommend that you wear plastic or latex gloves while smearing
the chile paste onto the cabbage leaves. Otherwise, your hands will be tingling afterward and
the odor, while delicious, will linger on your skin.
Many Korean households purchase premade kimchi these days, and you can certainly do
that and use it wherever kimchi is called for in my recipes, but please do try making this at
least once.
8 cups warm water
1½ cups kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1 very large Korean cabbage or several heads napa cabbage (5 to 6 pounds total), bottom(s) trimmed, wilted and
tough outer leaves discarded, and rinsed well
2 small onions, coarsely chopped
12 dried shiitake mushrooms
10 large dried anchovies (myulchi), head and guts removed
6 scallions, coarsely chopped
64 cloves garlic, 8 crushed and the rest left whole
1 (10-inch-long) piece dried kelp (dashima)
2½ cups gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)
14 tablespoons fish sauce
10 tablespoons salted shrimp (saewoo jeot), rinsed
4 tablespoons sugar
1 (7-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, julienned
12 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
7 ounces Korean white radish (mu) or daikon, peeled and julienned
IN A LARGE BOWL, stir together the warm water and ¾ cup of the salt until the salt has dissolved;
let the salted water cool. Meanwhile, partially cut the cabbage(s) in half lengthwise, starting
from the root end and cutting about halfway to the top. Using your hands, pull the cabbage(s)
apart to split in half completely. Repeat so that each half is halved in the same way, which
keeps the leaves intact and whole.
Loosen the leaves of each wedge so that they are easy to spread. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup
salt over and between all the leaves, salting the core area more heavily. Put the cabbage into a
large bowl (use two if they don’t fit) cut-side up. Pour the cooled salted water over the cabbage,
then pour enough cold water into the bowl to cover the cabbage; don’t overfill the bowl, as
some liquid will be drawn out of the cabbage. Weigh down the cabbage with a plate so the
wedges are completely immersed. Let sit at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, flipping the
wedges halfway through.
Rinse the wedges well under cold running water and gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
Put the wedges cut side down in a colander and let drain for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the onions, mushrooms, anchovies, scallions, the 8
crushed garlic cloves, and the kelp and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to
maintain a simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids, and let the anchovy
stock cool completely.
When the stock has cooled, in a food processor, combine the remaining garlic cloves, chile
flakes, fish sauce, salted shrimp, sugar, and ginger and process until smooth. Add enough of
the stock to make a smooth paste, about 2 cups total. Discard any remaining stock. Transfer
the spice paste to a large bowl and stir in the carrots, scallions, and radish.
Rub the spice paste all over the cabbage wedges and between each leaf. Pull the outermost leaf
of each wedge tightly over the rest of the wedge, forming a tidy package. Pack the wedges into
one or more glass or other nonreactive containers with a tight-fitting lid (see Tip, below). Press
a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the kimchi, then cover. The kimchi can be
eaten at this young stage or after it sits at room temperature and starts to get sour and
“bubble,” 2 to 3 days. Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will continue to ferment at a
slower pace. I like to age mine at least 2 weeks, but it really is up to preference. Cut the kimchi
before serving.
TIP: While large glass jars or Korean earthenware containers are preferred for storing
kimchi, they’re not always easy to find. Look in the housewares section of Korean markets for
glass or plastic kimchi containers, which have become popular. You can also use any sturdy
BPA-free plastic or other nonreactive container with a tight-fitting lid. You’ll need a
container or containers with a total capacity of 1 gallon for the kimchi.