Barley and black pepper kimchi

  • Ferment
  • medium
  • 20
  • 30 minutes
Not yet rated

Originally from Korea, kimchi is a pungent ferment similar to sauerkraut. Dean Parker's barley and black pepper kimchi recipe is somewhere in between the two. He ferments in vacuum bags, as opposed to the traditional method in fermenting jars, for a clean and consistent and finish, but you can use sandwich bags if you don't have the equipment. You can switch the cabbage for other vegetables, finely sliced fennel works particularly well.

First published in 2017

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Black peppercorn kimchi

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Vacuum bag and machine
  • 2L Kilner jar

Method

1
Begin by brining the cabbage. Make a 10% solution by dissolving the 300g of salt in 3l of water
2
Cut the cabbages in half lengthways then slice into 1.5cm thick slices. Place in the brine for 1 1/2 hours
3
Cook the barley in 200ml boiling water until soft. Reserve the boiling liquid
4
Using half of the reserved barley liquid, blend the raw garlic and peppercorns. Once smooth, add the cooked barley and blend to a thick paste
5
Drain the cabbage really well, squeeze out any excess brine and mix well with the barley paste
6
Place in a vacuum bag, seal in a bar chamber sealer and leave in a warm place for 5–7 days (if you don't have vac pac equipment, use sandwich bags and weigh down with a sandwich bag full of water). The bag might start to inflate a little as the fermentation process creates gasses. If it is particularly warm, the process will happen quicker so keep an eye out and if you notice the bags reach bursting point, the kimchi is ready
7
Open the bags and taste, if you prefer it a little more tangy, leave to ferment out of the fridge for a few more days. If you are happy with the flavour, transfer to sterilised jars and store in the fridge – this will slow the fermentation process right down
8
Serve on its own with cheese and charcuterie, mix through a rice dish or get it out for barbecue season; it is delicious in a burger, on a hotdog or with marinated ribs
First published in 2017

With an unwavering dedication to finding the best ingredients around and amplifying their flavour through a variety of techniques, Dean Parker is an exciting young chef who rose through Robin Gill's restaurant empire and now heads up his own restaurant in Glasgow.

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