Nick’s Kimchee

1 large head cabbage, about 2 lb (regular or Napa) 1/3 cup fine sea or kosher salt 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 2 tbsp nori krinkles or chopped toasted nori sheets 1 tbsp gochujang paste 1 tsp sugar 3 § tbsp gochugaru or spice blend (above) 1 large carrot, peeled and grated 2 pickling cucumbers, sliced 5 green onions chopped Slice cabbage into quarters and remove the woody core. Slice quarters ¼- to ½-inch thick. Place sliced cabbage in a large bowl or pot. Sprinkle with salt. Put on gloves and massage and squeeze cabbage until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add water to cover, place a bowl or plate on top of the cabbage to weigh it down. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain the cabbage in a colander and rinse with water. Drain.

In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic, ginger and nori flakes into a paste with 3 tbsp water. Mix the garlic paste with the gochujang paste, sugar, and gochugaru (or spice blend, see above). In a large bowl, combine the carrots, cucumbers, green onion and cabbage. Add the spice paste and mix everything together very well with gloved hands.

Stuff everything tightly into large 1 L mason jars, evenly distributing any liquid that remains in the bowl. Put on lid tightly. Set jars on a cookie sheet and store in a cool, dark place for about 7 days. The jars will need to be “burped” once daily to release fermentation gasses. (Do this away from the rest of the family; it is quite smelly.) Taste for desired amount of fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, refrigerate immediately.

Makes about 2 L.