Cabbage:

2,7kg napa cabbage

72g kosher salt

If the cabbage cores stick out too much, trim them off

First cut a short slit in the base of the cabbage, enough to get a grip on either half, and then gently pull the halves apart so the cabbage splits open. Split the cabbage in half without shredding the densely packed leaves inside!

Cut a slit through the core of each half, 3 cm above the stem. You want the cabbage leaves to be loose but still attached to the core so do not cut all the way through, we do not want quarters yet.

Dunk the halves in a large bowl of water to get them wet. Sprinkle salt between the leaves by lifting up every leaf and getting salt way up in there. Use more salt closer to the stems, where the leaves are thicker.

Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes, so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water from the bottom of the gastro over top of the cabbages if you want to.

After 2 hours, wash the cabbage halves a few times under cold running water. Giving them a good washing, to remove the salt. 

Now…as you wash, split the halves into quarters along the slits you cut into earlier. Cut off the cores, give them a final rinse, and put them in a strainer over a basin so they can drain well

Porridge:

480 ml dashi

Dashi:

water, kombu, shitake, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, 1* tbsp miso

Bring to a simmer and let infuse for cca 30 min.

Strain, bum veg dashi.

2 tbsp glutinous rice flour

3 tbsp turbinado / brown sugar

Combine the dashi and the sweet rice flour in a small pot. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add the sugar and cook for 1 more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and let it cool off completely.

Pour cooled porridge into a large mixing bowl

Kimchi Paste:

1 Granny smith

1 Pear

5 cm Ginger

1 small Onion

10 pcs Garlic

1/2 cup Soy sauce

Blitz everything together

Seasonings and spices:

20 garlic cloves minced

5 cm ginger, minced

1 medium onion, minced

2 cups red pepper flakes (gochugaru)

Soy sauce

Miso paste

Vegetables:

2 cups Korean radish matchsticks (or daikon radish)

1 cup carrot matchsticks

7 to 8 green onions (scallions), chopped

1 cup chopped Asian chives (buchu), optional (substitute with 3 green onions, chopped)

In a large bowl combine COLD porridge, kimchi pate, seasoning mix well. 

Add chopped vegetables. Mix again. 

In a large bowl, spread some kimchi paste on each cabbage leaf. When every leaf in a quarter is covered with paste, wrap it around itself into a small packet (little Korean heart), and put into your jar, plastic container, or onggi.

Let sit outside a minimum 2 days after that, keep checking everyday and put it in the fridge when the fermentation funk is at the level that you like.

For Sansho it is usually 3 to 4 days, then vacuumed & stored in fridge.