17 February 2008

Oi Kimchi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)

I have to admit that I really like baechu (cabbage) kimchi better than oi kimchi, but you've got to be out of your mind if you actually think I'm going to buy "fish sauce" and keep it in my house. I'd rather live in ignorant bliss. Plus, baechu kimchi smells like the dickens and if you don't eat it quickly, it smells up your house and we just don't eat it that quickly. All that said, the hardest part of making oi kimchi turned out to be the waiting. Well, the julienning of the radish was a pain in the tuchus but other than that it was a breeze. This recipe is based off the recipe that can be found in A Korean Mother's Cooking Notes by Chang Wun-Young. Off we go...

For Oi Kimchi you will need:

10 pickling cucumbers (not English cucumbers!)
2 cups of Korean white radish, julienned
coarse salt
1 T table salt
1 T sugar
1 T red pepper powder
1 t chopped garlic
1/2 t chopped ginger
1/4 c finely cut green onions

- Wash the cucumbers and rub them with the coars salt. While you let those rest combine the radish, table salt, sugar, red pepper powder, garlic, ginger and green onions in a bowl and combine them very well.

- Rinse the salt off the cucumbers and then chop them into two inch chunks. Cut them vertically 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down in a plus sign, like this. The chunks should not be cut apart.

- Stuff the cucumber "pockets" with the radish mixture. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water into the leftover juices of the radish bowl and then over top of the stuffed cucumbers.

- Mrs. Chang did not mention this part but the oi kimchi is not really ready to eat yet. This is the hard part. You must cover your oi kimchi and wait about two days for it to ferment and marinate.

Notes:

* if you have a mandolin to julienne the radish, use it by all means. I didn't so I julienned them by hand. I was concerned that my radish wasn't thin enough and it would be all hard and tough to eat but soaking in the red pepper and salt brought a lot of the juices out and they were soft and very edible by the time I stuffed the cucumbers.

* she didn't say to, but I cut off the ends of the cucumbers. Also, I peeled my radish.
That's it for now. I'll let you know in two days how my oi kimchi turns out.

8 comments:

Johanna said...

Well, this is one recipe that I don't think I'll be trying! I'm so sorry to those of you who actallyl crave kimchi, but to me it does not look yummy! I tried it once before, when it was prepared for me, but I had a hard time eating it.

But your pictures are great! You make it look so professional!

Joanna said...

aaahhhhhh, it's not the stuff all...ok, nearly all Americans hate. This isn't hot and it doesn't have the icky smell. ;)

Tina said...

Oh, Johanna if you try ANY kind of odd asian food you should try Oi Kimchi. It is SOOOO YUMMMMMY. It does look disgusting, but it isn't. I can't stand any other kimchi, but LOVE the cucumber stuff. Thanks Jo, I can't wait to hear how it turns out... Now to find pickling cucumbers and korean white radish.. hmmmmmmm

Joanna said...

i wish i could send you some but i don't think it's legal.

Joanna said...

well, so far i can't find anything that says i can't send you some korean radish. if i send it priority mail i think it will get there way before it spoils. i depends on how i wrap it. look at this and tell me what you think. i'll totally send it if you think i can.

Unknown said...

I'm curious to see how this will turn out. It looks just like how the grocery store oi kimchi I buy is prepared. But, you said it's not hot. I remember the oi kimchi in Korea being pretty spicy. Not as much as the regular kimchi, but still much spicier than anything I've ever gotten in the US. Let me know if yours comes out spicy or not, cause if not, I would probably add more pepper.

That's funny about sending it in the mail. I don't think Korean food spoils, right? It just gets more "ripe" :)

Joanna said...

by not spicey, i mean not as spicey as baechu kimchi.

i actually snorted when i read "it just gets more 'ripe' right".

and i remembered that my aunt sent me a huge box of rhubarb once. if she can send me that then i can send a radish, eh?

Unknown said...

I would love to try the recipe! I just love kimchi and we make our own too! The photos are wonderful! I hope you are well.