by Karen Guthrie posted Wed 14th Sep '11

Ingredients

• Garlic, 2 level tablespoons
• Spring Onions, 6, chopped into thin rounds
• Sugar, 2 level tablespoons
• Chinese cabbage, 1 lb
• Radish (pref.white but any will do), 1 lb
• Salt, 3 level tablespoons
• Fresh ginger, finely chopped, 2 level tablespoons
• Korean red pepper, Or substitute cayenne pepper - 1 tablespoon

Method

In a big bowl, mix about 2 pints of water with 2 tbsp & 2 teaspoons of the salt to make a brine. Chop cabbage into bitesize pieces (not too small) and radish into slices about3mm across. Leave the vegetables in the brin for about 12 hrs, covered with a clean teatowel - give them a stir when you remember to.
Put the garlic, ginger, sugar, spring onions, pepper and the remaining few tsp of salt into another bowl. Remove the vegetables from the brine with slotted spoon and mix everything well together - don't discard the liquid! Put the mixture into one or two big jars leaving an inch of space at the neck. Top up with liquid so that the jars are well filled and the mix covered - leftover liquid can store in the fridge and be used for Asian dishes. Cover jars loosely and leave in a cool dark place to ferment - depending on the season this can take 3 -10 days - test regularly and when it's sour enough for you, cover and refrigerate the kimchee and serve as a small side dish with Asian foods. Kimchee keeps well but loses its potency after a few months.

Background

I've based this recipe on one by the legendary Indian cook Madhur Jaffrey. We make it at Lawson Park farm all the time and I swear it's why we don't get colds ever!
You can use chinese cabbages that are bolting or about to, so it's a handy recipe for gardeners.