LAENA'S 노랑김치 Nolang (YELLOW) KIMCHI [RECIPE]

This is my fun "yellow" or “nolang" version of traditional white "baek" kimchi. Unlike regular kimchi, which is made with Korean chili, baek kimchi doesn’t use any chili at all. Instead, it is submerged in a fruity and gingery brine. I call my version "yellow,” since I add non-traditional, fresh turmeric root, which is great for the immune system, as well as adding a nice taste. 

 INGREDIENTS

Cabbage Pickling

1 large napa cabbage (1.6 kg / 3.5 pounds)
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
Pickling brine (Combine the salt & water below; stir till salt mostly dissolves)
3/4 cups coarse sea salt
4 cups water

Kimchi fillings

2 medium size watermelon radish, julienned
3 carrots, julienned
1 Asian pear, julienned
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, julienned

Kimchi brine

1 pear (Bosc or Asian), seeded
1 apple, seeded
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pinkie-sized pieces of fresh turmeric (you can get this at any West Indian bodega in NYC, Whole Foods, or at Windfall Farms at the Union Square Greenmarket)
2 big 2-inch pieces of fresh ginger (the size of a big man’s thumb), chopped

New pickling brine

4 cups water
1 Tbsp coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Quarter the cabbage: cut the cabbage in half, then cut again so you have 4 wedges. Gently place in a big bowl. Sprinkle the ¼ cup of salt directly on the white part of the cabbage, then pour the pickling brine onto the cabbage. Leave it at room temperature until the white part of the cabbage is flexible and wilted (for about 8 hours or overnight). Make sure all of it is submerged, so turn it over and stir it up a few times. When wilted, remove from the brine (save the brine!!) and rinse the cabbage in running water to get the salt off.

2. Puree the pear, apple, garlic, turmeric and ginger in a blender. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain out the fiber, and stir into the new pickling brine (4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt).

3. Place the wilted, pickled cabbage quarters onto a clean board. Starting with one of your 4 cabbage quarters, from the bottom leaves, fill the cabbage with the julienned kimchi fillings, one layer of cabbage at a time, stuffing it between the leaves. Roll it up tight like a taquito, then place the stuffed kimchi vertically into a large container (I use a big Tupperware). Repeat this step with the remaining ingredients, wedging them in as much as possible.

4. Pour the new Kimchi brine (4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt) into the kimchi container making sure that all your stuffed cabbage is covered. Add more water if you need, maintaining the ratio of water to salt (for example, if you add 2 cups water, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt too). Place a weight (I use a gallon Ziploc bag half filled with water) on top to stop the kimchi floating and totally submerge the stuffed cabbage in the brine. Close the lid or cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 3 days, depending on how strong you like it! If it is cold in your home, leave it for at least 48 hours, then move it to the fridge. I like to store my kimchi in quart sized glass mason jars, but any covered container will work. You can even store them in ziploc bags. You can start serving the kimchi immediately, but it will get better after a few days. Slice the kimchi “taquito” before serving (I like to pull out one stuffed quadrant taquito and slice it up in little 1-inch bite size slices).  I eat this with everything! It’s so refreshing and energizing, especially in the winter when our immune systems are the most vulnerable.

FYI, this kimchi will start to taste a little rank after 4 weeks or so. But you can still use it—add it to stir fry, scrambled eggs, or rice!