Spring - STUFFED CRAB SHELL KIMCHEE

KYE SSAM KIMCHI

This is a gourmet kimchee that makes use of cleaned crab shells for presentation purposes.

INGREDIENTS:
12-15 large fresh crabs
5oz (140g) coarse sea salt
1 Napa cabbage, about 2 lb (1kg), cut into 1 ½ in (4cm) pieces
1 radish, about 1 lb (500g), julienned
1/3 cup crushed garlic
¼ cup crushed fresh ginger
3oz (85g) red hot chili powder
1oz (30g) red hot chili flakes
½ cup fish sauce
4 scallions, cut into 2 in (5cm) lengths
½ cup Korean watercress (minari), cut into 2 in (5cm) lengths

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Rinse the crabs well, pull off the top shells, and reserve. Remove the roe and set aside. Crack open the crab legs, remove the meat. Mix the roe and meat together with 2oz (60g) salt. Blanch the top shells turn red, then dry thoroughly.
2. Toss the cabbage and radish with 3oz (85g) salt and allow to stand.
3. To make the stuffing, mix together the garlic, ginger, chili powder and flakes, and fish sauce. Add the scallions and minari, and toss together. Add the cabbage and radish and mix well.
4. Stuff the crab shells generously. Pile them neatly in a container with the stuffing facing up. Cover with several cabbage leaves and allow to ferment for 2-3 days. Serve the kimchee in the crab shells.

Winter - STUFFED WHOLE RADISH KIMCHEE

TÓNG MU SOBAEGI

A solid-fleshed radish does not lend itself to stuffing as would individual cabbage leaves. Yet the Korean, in this extremely artful kimchee, have devised a method of stuffing one half of a radish with unique flavors.

INGREDIENTS:
4 radishes, about 7lb (3.5kg), well scrubbed
8oz (230g) coarse sea salt
1 gallon (5liters) water
2 quantities rice porridge
2/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup red hot chili powder
1/3 cup red hot chili flakes
¼ cup red chili treads
2/3 cup julienned garlic
1/3 cup julienned ginger
4 scallions, cut into 1 ½ in (4cm) long strips
½ cup Korean watercress (minari)
½ cup sliced Chinese chives
2 medium-sized carrots, julienned
4 chestnuts, boiled, peeled and julienned

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Cut 3 of the radishes in half lengthwise (reserve one for the stuffing). Make 3-4 deep notches lengthwise on the rounded sides of each radish half.
2. To make the brine, dissolve 6oz (170g) salt in the water. Soak the radish halves in the brine for about 14-16 hours or overnight. Cover the container with a saucer to completely immerse the radish. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.
3. To make the stuffing, finely julienne the remaining radishes. Put the porridge, fish sauce, chili powder and flakes, chili threads, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and mix together. Add the julienned radish, scallions, minari, chives, carrots, chestnuts, and gently toss all the ingredients together.
4. Insert about 1 tablespoon stuffing into each slit in the radishes. Place the radishes on their side in the container.

5. Rinse out the mixing bowl with ½ cup water and the remaining salt, pour over. Cover tightly and ferment for 3-4 weeks in the crisper section of the refrigerator.
6. To serve, cut each radish half into cubes or rectangles so that each piece will contain one stuffed notch.

Note: In the past, this kimchee was prepared in the coastal areas where pine nuts, dates, and chestnusts were uncommon. In their place, fishermen used cod or Pollack chunks, which were easily available and cheap. Sometimes a whole fish fillet was fermented between 2 stuffed radish halves. The fish slabs were served separately from the radish and seasoned with sesame seeds, oil, and chopped scallions and sprinkled with red chili powder.