총각김차 / Ponytail Kimchi by Brett Gabby

Recipe by Brett Gabby (@b_m_gabby)

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총각김차 / Chonggak Kimchi / Ponytail Kimchi

Yields: 2 quarts of kimchi

·      2 pounds of Korean ponytail radish, soaked in a large bowl of water

·      1/3 cup of Korean sea salt (*you may use other types of salts but the salinity will vary so the amount will also change)

·      1 tablespoon of Koda Farms sweet rice flour

·      ¾ cup filtered water

·      ¼ cup of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

·      2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

·      ½ fuji apple, peeled and cored

·      ½ cup finely julienned carrot (approximately 1 small carrot)

·      ¾ cup gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)

·      6 scallions, trimmed and julienned into 2” inch lengths

·      ¼ cup of fish sauce

·      ¾ cup of filtered water

·      2 tablespoons of Korean sea salt

After the radish have soaked to remove dirt and sand, with a paring knife, gently scrape away near the base of the stem any dirt (removing any yellow or off-color leaves and keeping intact the stem/leaves). With a sponge, gently scrub off any dirt that is remaining on the radish. Do not peel the radish. Peeling it will change the texture of the kimchi. Rinse and drain the radish. If the radish are larger, quarter lengthwise or cut in half lengthwise. If they are smaller, I like to leave them whole.

In a large bowl, toss the radish with 1/3 cup of Korean sea salt and let sit for 3-4 hours. Tossing the radish every hour or so. After 3-4 hours, rinse and drain the radish.

In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 tablespoon of rice flour and ¾ cup of filtered water over medium high heat. Continue to cook and whisk until the rice paste has come together to form a gluey paste for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

 In a blender, add the garlic, ginger and apple to blend into a puree (adding a splash of water if needed to help with blending)

In another large bowl, add the julienned carrot, gochugaru, julienned scallion, fish sauce, and garlic, ginger, apple puree and the cooled rice paste. Mix everything together. Add the radish and mix with your hands to combine well. Pack kimchi in mason jars or quart containers. Pour the last ¾ cup of water into the mixing bowl to “rinse” the remaining sauce and then divide it and pour on top of kimchi. Divide and sprinkle the couple of tablespoons of sea salt on top of the kimchi. Seal tightly and let sit on your counter for 2-3 days to ferment. Place in fridge after the 2-3 days.

*www.kimchimari.com has a great post explaining the differences between salts and what salt is best for kimchi