9.3.12

Kimchi: Korean pickles in two days

After our Burma trip, when asked about our next destination in Asia, South Korea definitely makes it in my top three. One of the main reasons are the stomach-gurgling visions it evokes in my head: steaming pots of jjigae, dripping bulgogi and mountains of fiery red kimchi. Until we get there to check if this hallucinating vision coincides with reality, I'll keep on making my "traditional" kimchi in the warmth of a Belgian kitchen.

The first batch I made was after a recipe of David Lebovitz and the rest were purely exploratory. I discovered replacing half of the fish sauce with soy sauce brings a pleasant depth of flavour. Chunks of other vegetables make for more interesting textures and colors. The future surely holds other exciting discoveries - David's new recipe with rice vinegar might become a new favorite.


Kimchi
1 medium chinese cabbage
80g coarse salt
1 whole head of garlic, minced

2 tbsp minced ginger
1 bunch green onions, cut in 5cm pieces
1 small pear, grated or 1 tsp honey
1/2 cup chili powder, preferably Korean
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
Optional: a grated carrot, a small daikon (japanese radish), a few julienned pak choi leaves


1. Wash the chinese cabbage and cut in half lenghtwise. Remove the tough base and cut crosswise in bite sized pieces (about 5cm long).

2. Fill a big bowl with 4 liters of water and disolve the salt in it. Add the cabbage and place a heavy plate or lid on top to make sure all the pieces are submerged.

3. Leave to stand for 2 hours then rinse well to wash off the salt.

4. Combine the garlic, ginger, chili powder with the fish & soy sauce to obtain a thick sauce. Stir in the green onions, grated pear/honey and the other vegetables, if using.

5. Using your hands (yes, it's messy) mix the cabbage with the sauce, until it's nicely covered and you've got tiny bits of garlic and chili under your nails. Please refrain from sticking your fingers in your eyes for a good few hours.

6. You'll need a clean 800ml jar to finish: force the cabbage down the jar so there aren't any spaces left on the sides. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside at room temperature for 1-2 days.

7. When you see small fermentation bubbles forming, the kimchi is ready! No bubbles? Leave it for one more day.

8. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

 
  
Kimchi should be kept in the fridge and it will only become better as time goes. Two weeks after creation is supposed to be the best time to enjoy it, but tastes differ so it's really up to you.

And when, if ever, your kimchi grows very old and stinky, it will be just perfect for kimchi soup.
 
This recipe makes a jarful of pure goodness.

23.2.12

What I've been cooking: Carrot muffins

You couldn't possibly make enough of these - take my advice and double the recipe. You'll have a bunch of grateful friends, if the muffins ever make it outside the house...

 

Ditch the traditional carrotcake for these jazzy muffins

Recipe for the muffins & the soft cream icing on bbcgoodfood.com. I followed the suggestion of the other readers and added to the mixture the juice of one orange too. Now I'll be on my way to the kitchen to try another batch with poppy seeds!
 
This recipe makes 12 bits of pure goodness.

4.2.12

Citrus marinated salmon

I'm a big fan of creamy, fatty, raw salmon flesh. When we go for sushi, it feels like Christmas in my heart. So when I first learned about marinating fresh salmon and thus extending its very limited life span, I couldn't wait to try it out. The original recipe only used salt, but I find the addition of spices a happy development.


Citrus marinated salmon
1 sushi-quality salmon filet
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
zest from 1 lemon & 1 lime & 1 orange

freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh thyme 
6 hours 

1. Make sure your salmon has been frozen. You could catch (it's very raaaare!) a nasty tapeworm and then you'll ruin everybody's appetite for raw fish. Frost kills the parasite and its eggs so you should be safe.

2. Pat dry the filet. Grab a recipient that matches the size of the fish.

3. Mix the salt, zest, pepper & the thyme leaves.

4. Pour 1/3 of the salt mixture in the dish. Place the salmon on top and cover it with the rest. Press so the salts sticks on the sides as well.

5. Place the recipient in the refrigerator and wait for 6 long, excruciating hours.

6. Brush the salt off the salmon and discard. Wash the filet in running cold water for 1-2 minutes.

7. Enjoy with sushi rice, in a salad or on a lavish cana



Sometimes my excitement about this is so monumental, my brain comes to a halt. Then I forget to wash the salmon in time and it becomes overly salty. No amount of washing afterwards will fix this - don't make the same mistake!

You should be able to keep the leftovers for a few days but don't overdo it.
 
This recipe makes a quantity of pure goodness.