GEOTJURI KIMCHI (겉절이 • Barely Pickled Kimchi)

Every once in a while, I’ve come home after a long day at work, scooped a bit of leftover rice into my bowl, cracked open the refrigerator, and looked for the kimchi only to realize, wait. Where’s the kimchi? And all of a sudden, this horrible panic wells up in my throat until I remember the three syllables that will squelch my fear: “geot-juh-ri.” Geotjuri, or “kimchi salad,” as I like to call it, is a barely pickled kimchi that takes far less time than the traditional kimchi recipes. It is designed to be enjoyed immediately after preparation, instead of several days (if not weeks) after it is mixed. In fact, if you’ve got some premade kimchi paste sitting around (perhaps left over from your annual kimchi-making day—what, you don’t have one?), it will take you about 35 minutes from start to finish to make this fabulously refreshing kimchi recipe. So, never fear—even if you’ve gone through your store of kimchi, with a little bit of foresight, kimchi is never ever out of reach. MAKES 1 HALF-GALLON JAR DIFFICULTY: Easy ALLERGENS: GFO, NF

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Step 1

Pull the leaves of the cabbage heads apart. For all but the smaller inner leaves, cut each leaf into 2 or 3 smaller pieces by running the blade of a very sharp knife through the leaf while you hold it up (like running a knife through sheets of paper to cut them in half) or simply cut the leaves on a cutting board.

Step 2

Place the cabbage pieces in a large bowl with ½ cup water and the salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes, turning the leaves a few times.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the paste: In a small pot, combine the sweet white rice flour and 1 cup water and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. The mixture should come to a gentle boil in a few minutes, at which point it will begin to thicken. Add the brown rice syrup and cook for a little longer, continuing to stir, until the mixture thickens into a paste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Step 4

In a high-powered blender, combine the garlic, ginger, onion, “fishy” sauce, and persimmon puree. Blend until smooth.

Step 5

In a large bowl, combine this garlic/ginger mixture with the rice flour paste. Add the gochugaru. Stir in the radish, carrot, scallions, and garlic chives.

Step 6

Pour the paste, together with the julienned vegetables, over the cabbage leaves, incorporating them with your hands so that the leaves are evenly coated.

Step 7

Enjoy immediately after preparing. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to 2 weeks longer.