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bubble and thicken. Keep stirring to distribute the salt.
prevent the mixture from sticking to 4. Cover the plums with a clean
the pan. Once the mixture creates muslin cloth and put some weights
a thick coat on a wooden spoon, over the cloth.
remove from the heat. 5. Forget about the plums and move
6. Mix 1 cup of the resulting rice flour on with your life.
WHOLE CABBAGE mixture with the remainder of the 6. If you’re an organised person and
KIMCHI marinade ingredients in a very large live in California or a non-tropical,
non-polluted climate, you should
bowl. Mix well and season with
salt to taste. Using your hands remember the plums after about
(covered with plastic gloves!), three weeks. Remove them from
spread the marinade onto each leaf the brine that has developed and
INGREDIENTS
s 2 large napa cabbage (baechu) of cabbage and around the outside dry them in the sunshine on rattan
of each piece. Make sure every mats resting among the plum trees.
bit of the cabbage is coated with After three days of sunning, return
For the brine:
s 250g coarse salt the marinade. the plums to the brine.
s 5L cold water 7. Pack the seasoned cabbage tightly 7. However, if you’re me, you will
into a clean glass jar. Make sure continue to forget about the plums.
there are no air pockets in the 8. When you do remember the plums
For the rice paste:
s 3 tbsp sweet rice flour (chapssal jar. Leave at least an inch or two three months later, eat them and
garu) of room at the top; fermentation enjoy. If you’re smart, make an ice
s 3 tbsp hot water creates carbon dioxide and if cream out of them.
s 500ml water your jar is full, you may have an 9. Strain the brine and use it as vinegar.
explosion of kimchi all over your
kitchen. Seal the jar and leave
For the marinade:
s 1 ¼ cup Korean red pepper outside at room temperature at
powder (gochugaru) least one day, or 2 days if the
s 1 daikon, julienned into temperature is cool. Then keep
matchstick-sized pieces it in the refrigerator, ideally a
s 8 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces separate refrigerator from the rest
s 10 garlic chives, cut into 1 inch of your food like all good Koreans
pieces do. Be sure to keep your berries
s 1 head of garlic, finely minced and other permeable foods in a
s 4 tbsp finely minced ginger closed drawer so they don’t taste
s 60ml fish sauce like kimchi!
s 2 tbsp Korean salted shrimp FERMENTED
(saewoo jeot) HOT SAUCE
s 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
s Salt, to taste

INGREDIENTS
METHOD s Assortment of dried Mexican
1. Remove any wilted or bruised outer chillies (like arból, guajillo or pasilla),
leaves and wash the cabbage. stems removed
Slice each cabbage into fourths s 3 garlic cloves
lengthwise. s 3 red shallots, peeled and halved
2. For the brine, dissolve a ¾ cup SALTED s 2 tbsp sea salt
of the salt in the water in a very s 75ml white vinegar
large container. GREEN PLUMS
3. Separate each cabbage leaf
individually and sprinkle the A loose, absentminded adaptation METHOD
remaining salt on the inside of of Hachisu’s recipe for umeboshi in 1. Depending on your spice
each leaf. Use more salt on the Preserving the Japanese Way preference and the spiciness of
thicker parts of the leaf. Place the the peppers you’re using, you may
salted cabbage into the brine. deseed the peppers.
If necessary, place a pot on the INGREDIENTS 2. Place them in a clean litre glass jar
cabbage so that it is entirely s Green plums with the garlic and shallots. Leave
submerged. s Fine sea salt about 10cm from the top of the jar.
4. Let stand overnight, or at least 5 3. Add the sea salt. Pour filtered water
hours. The cabbage should be limp into the jar until the peppers are
and taste extremely salty. Remove METHOD covered. Use a weight to keep the
the cabbage from the brine and 1. Weigh your green plums. Then peppers submerged.
rinse under cold water. Drain the measure out 8% of that weight in 4. Leave in a cool dark place for at
cabbage for a couple of hours. fine sea salt. least two weeks.
5. For the rice paste, stir the sweet 2. Soak the plums in cold water 5. When the sauce is properly funky,
rice flour into the 3 tbsp hot overnight. remove about half of the liquid from
water until smooth. In a medium 3. In the morning, drain them, put the jar. If there’s any mold on the
saucepan, place the 500ml of them in a large container and cover top of the water, remove that first.
water and the flour mixture. Stir on with the salt. Make sure you don’t 6. Blend everything with the vinegar
high heat until the mixture begins to cut or bruise the plums as you until smooth.

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