"What is the magic ingredient?" he asked about the super-spicy pickle dish with flavors of raw garlic, ginger, scallions and chiles.
It could be fish sauce - fermented anchovy juice used in Asian cookery - or perhaps salted fish.
More likely it's the remarkable quantities of ground red Korean chiles, found bottled on supermarket shelves.
The recipe for the cucumber kim chee produces a crunchy dish that's good with sandwiches, a spicy substitute for the pickle.
3 pounds pickling cucumbers, well scrubbedTrim ends off cucumbers, quarter and cut into 3-inch lengths. Mix with half the salt in a bowl; set aside 3 hours.
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 cups peeled and julienne daikon radish
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peeled and minced or grated ginger
1-1/2 tablespoons or more of ground red Korean chilies
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup sesame oil
1-1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Drain cucumber and gently squeeze out excess liquid.
Toss together remaining salt and daikon, green onions, ginger, ground chiles, garlic; mix with cucumber.
Avoid touching eyes or sensitive skin because chiles are very hot. You may want to wear disposable rubber gloves.
Just before serving, toss in sesame oil and seeds. May be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week; mixture gets spicier daily.
Makes 16 small servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 50 calories, 4 grams fat, no cholesterol, 540 milligrams sodium.*
1 head won bok (Napa cabbage), about 2 poundsPlace cabbage in a colander and sprinkle salt over and between the layers of leaves; set aside 2 to 3 hours. Then rinse well, especially between layers of leaves; shake dry.
5 tablespoons coarse salt
1 cup peeled and julienned daikon radish
1/2 cup minced green onion tops
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons peeled and minced garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced or grated ginger
1 tablespoon or more of ground red Korean chiles
3 tablespoons salted shrimp (sold in jars at Asian stores)
Combine radish, green onions, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, ginger and ground chiles. Add shrimp. Use fingers to pack whole cabbage, inside and out, with the mixture. Or cut cabbage and toss with mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a week; mixture gets spicier daily.
Makes 16 small servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 35 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 445 milligrams sodium.*
