Chonggak Kimchi

Ingredients

• 3⅓ lbYoung ponytail radish with greensScrape the skin with a knife, do not peel; trim root tip, halve larger ones lengthwise
• 3⅛ ozCoarse sea saltfor salting the radishes in layers
• 2⅛ ozGochugarustir into the cooled flour paste and let it swell
• 2 tbspSweet rice flourfor the paste; plain flour works as substitute
• 1 cupWaterfor the flour or rice paste
• 4 tbspFish saucefor the seasoning paste
• 2 tbspSalted shrimpfinely chopped, for the seasoning paste
• 6 clovesGarlicminced or pureed
• 1 tbspGingergrated or finely minced
• 1 tbspSugarto round off and feed the fermentation
• 1 bunchSpring onioncut into roughly 5 cm pieces
• 1Onionfor the pureed seasoning base (optional)
• 1Applepureed along, for natural sweetness (optional)
• 6Dried anchoviesfor a quick stock used in the paste; dried pollock works too (optional)

Method

1. Wash the young radishes well, scraping the surface with the back of a knife rather than peeling them, trim off the root tip and carefully clean the dirt where the leaves meet the crown; pull off any yellowed or tough greens.
2. Halve or quarter the larger radishes lengthwise, leaving the greens attached at the crown so everything holds together.
3. Layer the radishes with coarse sea salt, sprinkling as you go, and let them sit for 2 to 4 hours, turning them two or three times until they bend without snapping.
4. Whisk the glutinous rice flour (or plain flour) into cold water until smooth, then bring it to a boil while stirring constantly until you have a creamy paste, and let it cool completely.
5. Stir the gochugaru into the cooled paste and let it swell for 10 to 20 minutes, until the color turns deep and glossy.
6. Mix in the anchovy sauce, finely chopped saeujeot, garlic, ginger, sugar and the green onions cut into roughly 5 cm pieces, then season with salt — raw, the paste should taste a touch saltier than you want the finished kimchi to be.
7. Rinse the salted radishes gently two or three times in cold water and drain them well, then put on gloves and rub the seasoning paste over every surface, working it in between the leaf stems.
8. Pack everything tightly into an airtight container, pressing down to push out air pockets, and don't fill the container all the way to the rim.
9. Let the kimchi ferment at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, then move it to the fridge to mature; it's good to eat after a few days and hits its full flavor in about one to two weeks. Serve it cold as a side dish.

Tips and variations

If you like a smoother paste, blitz the onion, apple, garlic, ginger and saeujeot in a blender into a silky seasoning base instead of just mincing and stirring everything together. You can also make the flour paste with a quick stock of dried anchovies or dried pollock instead of plain water, and grated apple or a sweetener works just as well as the sugar. There's a faster route, too: 60 minutes of salting with a single turn is enough — and on the flip side, it's worth letting the radishes drain completely for 1 to 2 hours after rinsing. Cut larger radishes into bite-sized pieces after rinsing and leave the small ones whole; pressing a sheet of plastic wrap against the surface before sealing the container helps keep mold away. Serve cold as banchan, two to three pieces per person.