White Napa Cabbage Kimchi in Pear and Garlic Brine

What you need

• 1.2 kg (2 2/3 lb) napa cabbage, 1 medium head
• 120 g coarse sea salt, plus 1 tsp for the filling
• 200 g (7 oz) daikon, cut into matchsticks
• 1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 4 stalks scallions, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 4 dried jujubes, pitted and thinly sliced
• 4 chestnuts, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 Korean or Asian pear, about 300 g, peeled and cored
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 30 g (1 oz) fresh ginger, peeled
• 1.7 l (7 cups) water, 700 ml for blending, 1 l for the brine
• 30 g fine salt, for the brine

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Pull off any bruised or wilted outer leaves of the cabbage and keep two of the good ones. Cut the head lengthwise into quarters through the core, so the leaves stay attached.

2. 2

   Rinse the wedges quickly under cold water. Place them in a large dish and sprinkle 120 g of the coarse sea salt between the leaves, using more at the thick white base.

3. 3

   Leave the cabbage for 4-5 hours, turning the wedges every hour. It is ready when the thick white part bends without snapping.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, toss the daikon, carrot, scallions, jujubes, chestnuts and pine nuts in a bowl with the remaining 1 tsp coarse sea salt. Set aside.

5. 5

   Stir the fine salt into 1 l of the water until dissolved.

6. 6

   Rinse each cabbage wedge 3 times in cold water to wash out the salt. Squeeze gently and drain, cut side down, for 30-60 min.

7. 7

   Blend the pear, onion, garlic and ginger with the remaining 700 ml water until smooth. Press the purée through a fine sieve and stir the liquid into the salted water. It should look thin, pale yellow and lightly sweet.

8. 8

   Separate the leaves of each wedge slightly, leaving the two outermost leaves unfilled. Spoon a little of the filling between each of the other leaves, mostly near the base.

9. 9

   Fold each wedge in half and wrap it with its outer leaves. Pack the wedges snugly into a clean glass or plastic container, with the saved outer leaves on the bottom. Add any leftover filling.

10. 10

    Pour in the brine until the cabbage is fully submerged. Weigh it down with a plate or fermenting weight, leaving 3 cm (1 in) free at the top, and cover loosely.

11. 11

    Leave in a cool spot for 2-3 days, until small bubbles rise and the smell turns pleasantly sour. Move to the fridge. It tastes good after another week and keeps for about 3 weeks.

12. 12

    To serve, lift out a wedge, cut it crosswise into 4 cm pieces and spoon some brine over them.

Imported from cleanfoodliving.net. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.