We h
ave a guest blogger on Kellan’s Kitchen! Welcome Chef Johnny Gnall to the site. Johnny is a good friend, chef, and moonlighting comedian (not really, but if you go drinking with him you will laugh a lot). Johnny is a tremendous chef. He has come to us with a great series of posts on Kimchi. In this post he will explain the basics and some history. In his following post, you will get some killer recipes on how to use the kimchi you just made! Now here’s Johnny!
Kimichi is on the rise.
Even though this nutrient-packed, probiotic foodstuff has been produced in Korea for nearly 1400 years, it’s only in the last five to ten that we’ve started seeing it regularly here in the States, a rising star among a cast of other fermented foods like kombucha, kefir, and good old fashioned sauerkraut, kimchi’s Eastern European cousin. The beauty of fermented foods, like kimchi, is that fermentation essentially begins the digestion process before you even start to eat: nutrients are made readily available so our bodies are able to absorb every last bit of nutrition.
There are nearly 200 different recognized varieties of kimchi in Korea, classified by anything from ingredients therein to region of origin. Typically, the dish contains some kind of cabbage, some kind of seafood condiment (like dried shrimp, dried fish, or fish sauce), dried chili, and a good amount of salt. And though specific techniques will vary, the process essentially involves: 1) curing the vegetables in salt to draw out excess water and create a brine, 2) working the ingredients over with a paste or condiment to aid the start of fermentation, and 3) leaving it alone for an extended period of time.
At its most basic, that’s all it takes to make kimchi; which is why there’s no reason you shouldn’t make it at home. On the contrary, there are a number of reasons why you should. Rich in vitamins and nutrients, and probiotic in nature, kimchi is one of the healthiest prepared foods you can put in your body. It’s delicious on its own, and versatile as a complement to many other foods (stay tuned for more on thatÛ_ kimchi pancakes, anyone?). To put it simply, it’s the kind of vegetable dish that makes you want to eat vegetables.
So go pick up some cabbage and get fermenting!
1. In a large bowl or baking dish, spread your cabbage into a layer an inch thick, and sprinkle generously with salt. Repeat this process, salting each layer. Let rest 45 minutes; then squeeze out the excess liquid in handfuls. Discard liquid.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the rice flour and water; bring to a boil.
3. Add the sugar and simmer for two minutes.
4. In a blender, puree the onion, ginger, garlic cloves, and fish sauce.
5. Combine everything in a big bowl and work it all together with your hands, ensuring that every bit gets coated and evenly dispersed.
At this point, you’re ready to start fermenting. Unless you happen to have a fermentation crock, the easiest method for home fermentation is large mason jars. Pack the kimchi into the jars, leaving an inch or two of room at top, and pressing down with clean fingers or a clean spoon. Proper compaction will ensure that as a brine is created, the kimchi will sit below the liquid and stay safe from mold. Clean fingers help ensure that only the preferred bacteria make their home in your kimchi. In fact, I should mention that all your tools and containers ought to be spotless and sanitary before you begin, in order to help control the bacterial process you are creating.
Screw the lid on your jar, but do so loosely, so that gas can escape as your kimchi ferments. Some liquid may trickle out as things bubble away, so sitting your jars in a shallow dish or on a tray is helpful.
Any temperature above 40 degrees will allow fermentation to take place, but the warmer your conditions, the faster the process will occur. I leave mine in an outdoor shed, which maintains a temp around 50 degrees, but room temperature works just as well. Just check your jar(s) daily to ensure the kimchi is sitting below the liquid, pressing down as needed.
Depending on your conditions, new flavors and textures might be evident after even a few days. I tend to check mine once a week. It’s amazing to follow your own kimchi’s progression, tasting how it changes as time goes on. The seemingly Û÷effervescent’ flavor it acquires is bonafide evidence that fermentation is taking place!
About Johnny:When Johnny Gnall drove across the country to attend culinary school in San Francisco, he assumed that afterwards, he’d return to the Washington, DC area, where he grew up. But after a 
few weeks around the Bay, he knew he’d found home. After a stint cooking in Basque Country, he worked for several years in SF, first in restaurants, then in catering, all the while writing about food, both professionally and in his blog, Tasty Morsels. Johnny recently married his culinary school sweetheart, Julia, and the pair opened J Squared Catering in Sonoma Valley. Johnny is also obsessed with his backyard vegetable garden and believes Sungold tomatoes are the perfect food.
