by Edward Lee
2Coarsely chop the cabbage into approximately 2-inch strips. Transfer to a large bowl.
3To make the paste: Combine the water, rice flour, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool while you make the guts.
4To make the guts: Combine the onions, chile flakes, daikon, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce in a food processor and process until well combined.
5Fold the guts into the cooled paste. Add the chopped scallions.
6Wearing clean latex gloves, mix the guts mixture thoroughly into the cabbage. Transfer to a gallon glass jar or airtight plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Let stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours, and up to a day and a half, then refrigerate. The kimchi will be ready to eat in 4 or 5 days, and it will keep for another 2 weeks.
Cabbage
Cabbages and the whole Brassica family have been important to many cultures and in many areas throughout history—the Chinese, Romans, and Egyptians, the Jews, the Middle East, India, Germany, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, Ireland, and the list goes on. Cabbage has been said to cure everything from inflammation to hangovers to bird flu. Yet, though it has been so important in so many Asian and European cultures and cuisines, you’ll never see it on anyone’s favorite ingredient list. And it’ll never make the cover of a food magazine. It’s just too accessible. (It’s like the girl who always picks up the phone on the first ring; that’s not sexy.) But the very thing that makes cabbage overlooked—that it grows easily and quickly and results in bountiful harvests—is exactly what has made it arguably the most important vegetable in history. During times of war and plague and famine, entire civilizations have existed on little more than braised and pickled cabbage. And along the way, those cultures have each invented a delicious way to enjoy this unsung hero.
Pineapple-Pickled Jicama
Jicama is a sweet root vegetable that is widely used in Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisine. It has a white, crunchy interior that is perfect for pickling, because it readily absorbs the flavor of the pickling liquid without losing its own subtle sweetness. The pineapple juice here, spiked with chile flakes and fresh mint, gives the jicama a tropical flavor.
This is a quick pickle recipe. Adding the pickling liquid to the jicama while it is still hot allows it to soften and penetrate the jicama much more quickly than a traditional pickle brine. It’ll be ready to eat in as little as a day.
I love this pickle with Asian BBQ. I also love it served just in a bowl, along with some nuts and marinated artichokes, at a cocktail party. / Makes 1 quart
1 small jicama (about 1 pound)
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
1 pineapple
½ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup water
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 star anise
3 cloves
A few fresh mint sprigs
1Peel the jicama. Cut it into thin matchsticks about ¼ inch thick and about 1 inch long. Core, seed, and cut the bell peppers into thin ribbons about the same length.
2Peel, quarter, and core the pineapple, then cut it into chunks. Place the pineapple chunks in a blender, along with the vinegar and water, and puree on low. Don’t overblend—you don’t want the pineapple juice to foam. Strain the juice through a sieve set over a bowl; discard the fibrous solids.
3Transfer the pineapple juice to a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Add the sugar and salt and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve them. Remove from the heat.
4Pack the jicama and bell peppers into a quart glass jar, layering them with pepper flakes, star anise, cloves, and mint. Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 day before enjoying; this will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Quick Caraway Pickles
If you only have one day to make pickles, make this recipe. While they’ll have more flavor the next day, they can be eaten the same day. The caraway is a break from the usual dill flavor you are used to in pickles. I don’t strain out the caraway seeds; they’ll get soft enough to eat and are delicious. / Makes 2½ quarts
2½ pounds pickling cucumbers, such as Kirby, scrubbed and sliced about ½ inch thick
½ cup kosher salt
2 cups rice vinegar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
1Put the cucumbers in a large glass jar or plastic container.
2In a large saucepan, combine the salt, both vinegars, water, sugar, caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
3Pour the pickling liquid over the cucumbers. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or several layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate. The pickles will be ready in about 4 hours, although they are better the next day; they will keep for up to 3 days.
Bourbon-Pickled Jalapeños
This recipe doesn’t require much of an explanation—it’s just good for so many reasons. I use the jalapeños as much for garnishing different dishes as I do for cocktails. / Makes 1½ quarts
1 pound jalapeño peppers
1¼ cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup bourbon
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
1Wearing disposable gloves, slice the jalapeño peppers into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Transfer to a jar.
2Combine the vinegar, bourbon, honey, coriander seeds, salt, mustard seeds, and bay leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
3Pour the hot liquid over the peppers and seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid, let cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. The peppers will be ready in 3 days, and they will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Pickling
When I refer to “quick pickle” recipes, it means that I use vinegar to speed up the pickling process, rather than just fermenting the ingredients. True pickles, like the kimchi recipes in this chapter, take weeks to mature. Quick pickles are ready in a day or two. And true pickles require you to can the vegetables, which is an arduous task. With quick pickles, you can simply store them, tightly sealed in clean jars in the refrigerator. Yes, true pickles will keep longer, but these quick pickles are so good they wouldn’t last long anyway. I developed the recipes in small enough amounts that you no doubt will consume them in less than 2 weeks, which is about the length of time you’d want to hold them.
Pickled Jasmine Peaches with Star Anise
You need to flavor your pickles, but it’s a hassle to strain out or remove loose spices that you don’t want to eat. Using tea bags is the perfect solution—they are packed with flavor. You can steep the pickle liquid just like you would a cup of tea; then, when the pickles are ready, you can just toss out the tea bags. Of course, use only high-quality tea.
This pickle screams for a nice, fatty pork dish, but it’s great with the gaminess of lamb and goat too. Or serve it with an aged sheep’s-milk cheese and some crusty bread for a refreshing version of a cheese plate. / Makes 2 quarts
2 pounds slightly underripe peaches
1 cup champagne vinegar
1 cup water
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 star anise
2 Serrano chili peppers, sliced in half
3 jasmine tea bags
1Peel the peac
hes with a vegetable peeler. Slice into wedges, discarding the pits. Pack into a large glass jar or other heatproof container.
2Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and star anise in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the hot liquid over the peaches and add the peppers and the tea bags. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate.
3Remove and discard the tea bags after 1 day. The peaches will be ready after 2 days, and they will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Pickled Chai Grapes
I love pickling fruit. The combination of salty and sour tames the sweetness of the fruit, adding layers of flavor without taking away from the identity of the grapes. I eat pickled grapes (at right) with salty, aged cheese like Manchego or even aged cheddars. They’re great with a charcuterie plate as well. Or try serving them with sliced pears and pomegranate seeds, for an aromatic fruit salad. / Makes 3 quarts
3 pounds red seedless grapes, stemmed, washed, and dried
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups champagne vinegar
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 chai tea bags
1Slice each grape in half and transfer to a large jar or other container. Add the cinnamon stick.
2Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the hot liquid over the grapes. Add the tea bags and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate. Remove the tea bags after 2 days. The grapes will be ready to eat in 4 days, and they will keep for up to a month.
Pickled Coffee Beets
I was having so much fun pickling using tea bags that one day I thought, “Would coffee work?” I tried pickling fennel and carrots and turnips with coffee beans and none of them worked. But then I tried beets. The beets work because they are so sweet, the coffee beans don’t overpower them. In fact, the coffee is just barely detectable in the background, but it gives the beets a mysterious bitter note. / Makes 2 quarts
2 pounds red beets
1 serrano chile pepper, cut in half
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon coffee beans
4 bay leaves
1Trim and peel the beets. Using a mandoline, slice the beets into thin rounds. Transfer to a large glass jar, along with the chile pepper.
2Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, coriander seeds, coffee beans, and bay leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the hot liquid over the beets. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. The beets will be ready to eat in 4 days, and they will keep for up to a month.
pickled Garlic in Molasses Soy Sauce
I drew this recipe from memory; the pickled garlic in soy sauce was my grandmother’s. She had a way of doing things that was a little different each time. So I made this recipe a little different too, with the addition of molasses. I think my grandmother would have liked it. I warn you: This pickle is as pungent as it gets. But if you are a garlic-head like me, you’ll love it. It can accompany any grilled meat or stir-fry and is also great with fried quail. I sometimes puree the pickled garlic with the juices and use it as a condiment for lettuce wraps, spring rolls, or fried tofu. / Makes about 1½ quarts
8 ounces garlic (about 4 heads), cloves separated, peeled, and rinsed
Distilled white vinegar to cover
2 cups soy sauce
2 cups water
¾ cup rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ cup molasses
1 jalapeño pepper
1Place the garlic in a jar and add the distilled white vinegar; the garlic should be completely submerged. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 5 days.
2Drain the garlic, discarding the vinegar, and rinse under cold water. Return the garlic to the jar.
3Combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sugar, molasses, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
4Pour the liquid over the garlic and add the jalapeño pepper. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate. The garlic will be ready to use in 6 days, and it will keep for several months.
Pickled Corn-Bacon Relish
These days you are as likely to find a producer of delicious, high-quality relishes—or, in the same category, compotes and preserves—at your local farmers’ market as you are to make them yourself. I’m all for making things from scratch, but when you can find a jar that is as good as one you would make, I’m quick to give in. However, you won’t find this relish just anywhere. If I can find a way to put a piece of bacon in something, I will.
This relish is a great addition to any picnic meal: in sandwiches, with the crusts cut off, or with pulled pork on soft buttery rolls. Don’t forget the iced tea and salty potato chips. Now, that’s my kind of afternoon. / Makes 2 quarts
2 strips bacon
5 ears corn, shucked
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 cup finely diced red onions
1½ cups apple cider vinegar
1½ cups water
⅓ cup sugar
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
2Cut the kernels off the corncobs with a sharp knife. Combine the corn, peppers, and red onions in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 10 minutes to rinse out some of the starch. Drain.
3Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the corn, peppers, and onions and bring back to a simmer.
4Transfer the relish to a glass jar. Add the bacon, whole or crumbled, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate. The relish will be ready to eat in 2 days, and it will keep for up to a week.
Pickled Rosemary Cherries
I paired these pickles with quail in one of the Top Chef challenges that I actually won (thanks, Ty-lor!). Cherries are sweet, but the rosemary tames the intense fruit and makes the pickle taste like a savory snack. Serve it with any chicken or game dish, like duck, quail, or pheasant. Try it next Thanksgiving instead of cranberry sauce. Or, for something really different, serve it over vanilla ice cream for a savory sweet dessert. / Makes 2 quarts
2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1Put the cherries into a large glass jar, along with the rosemary sprigs.
2Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let cool for 10 minutes.
3Pour the liquid over the cherries and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate. The cherries will be ready to eat in 4 days, and they will keep for up to a month.
The Pickle Master
I first met Bill Kim at a restaurant show in Chicago; we’d both been hired by the Korean Ministry of Food and Culture. We were each asked to create a modern version of a classic Korean dish. I still remember Bill’s braised kimchi with hominy and bacon, a traditional dish reimagined through his unique perspective. We became instant friends, and I love to call him up and compare notes. Bill’s vision is filtered through his love of Latin cuisine and mine through a Southern lens. But w
e share a love for kimchi.
“Korean food has finally arrived. And kimchi is the condiment everyone has gravitated to. It’s funky, smelly, spicy, and one of my favorite things to eat. My favorite vegetable for kimchi is the kirby, a seasonal cucumber, with garlic, garlic chives, ginger, Korean chile flakes, fish sauce, and shrimp paste. People argue about how they like their kimchi: fermented or ‘fresh’ made. I like the second method. It reminds me of a Latin salsa. The flavors come in layers: spicy, briny, garlicky, and earthy, all in a single bite. It’s the bomb!”
—Bill Kim, chef/owner of Urbanbelly and Belly Shack, Chicago
Veggies & Charity
It started with a Johnny Cash song. On January 13, 1968, Cash performed a concert at Folsom Prison, and he released the live album later that year. It changed live recording forever. I bought the cassette when I was in high school; in college, I bought a CD version of it; and now I listen to it on my computer. I’ve listened to “Folsom Prison Blues” a thousand times, and it still moves me. I always wanted to create something that crazy, that important.
Like most chefs, I get asked to do charity work all the time. Often it’s along the lines of donating a gift certificate or making a thousand canapés for people in tuxedos and gowns. A lot of money gets raised at these events, and I’ve always tried to be a good citizen about it, hoping to assuage the guilt I’ve built up over the years of leading a gluttonous life. I know how lucky I am to be surrounded by great food and rarefied libations. Good food is always a gift. The time, energy, and love needed to make delectable food exceeds any monetary value we can assign to it. Because, as my good friend author Francine Maroukian once said to me, time is our most valuable commodity. That extra night it takes to brine a pork loin, that extra hour it takes to let a dough rise, the time it requires to peel fresh garlic makes all the difference in the world.