A perfect way to use up the sprout tops from our charred sprout tree recipe which would otherwise burn before the sprouts cook through.
Our sprout top kimchi is a brilliant way to add some fire and crunch to your christmas leftovers. Great with all the cold cuts but even better stuffed into turkey grilled cheese! Try pairing your kimchi with a mature cheddar and some sourdough crackers. Or how about that glazed gammon with some fried eggs loaded up with kimchi?
Salt brined and fermented for up to two weeks this Korean inspired sprout ferment packs a real punch. Full of spice and umami goodness from the gochujang, a fiery fermented red pepper paste. The kimchi takes on a slight sweetness from the grated pear which helps to round off the spicy heat of the finished kimchi.
One 1 litre jar with tight fitting lid, well cleaned but not sterilised
A large sprout top reserved from a tree of sprouts, rinsed and dried
1 litre of water
40g sea salt (Or enough 4% brine to cover the sprout tops completely)
½ a pear, coarsely grated
1 ½ tsp gochugaru
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Small knob of ginger, finely minced
2 tsp gochujang
2 spring onions
Remove the leaves from the sprout top and give them a good rinse in cold running water.
In a large bowl whisk together one litre of water with 40g of sea salt. Whisk until completely dissolved.
Roughly shred the sprout leaves reserving one large leaf.
Place the shredded sprout tops and the reserved whole leaf into a bowl and cover with the 4% brine. Make sure that the sprout tops are completely submerged in the brine. Place a tea towel over them and leave at room temperature overnight.
Drain the sprout tops, reserving the brine. Allow them to drain well.
Place the grated pear, gochugaru, garlic, ginger and gochujang into a bowl and stir together well.
Finely slice the spring onions and add to the paste mix.
Place the brined sprout tops into the spice paste and massage the paste into the leaves well.
Pack the sprout tops into a clean jar, pressing down between layers to knock out any air bubbles. Place the reserved sprout leaf on top of the kimchi tucking it in down the sides so that it holds everything down.
Top up the jar with some of the reserved brine leaving around half an inch at the neck. If the cabbage rises when you top the jar up with brine then you can add a little weight using a zip lock bag filled with a little left over brine.
Screw the lid on tight and place on a dish to catch any over spill if it gets quite active. Label the jar with a date so that you can keep track of its progress.
Place in a cool dark place and allow to ferment for 1 to 2 weeks. Burp it every day or every other day depending on how active it is. You should see bubbles rising from the jar and hear it pop or hiss when you open the jar to allow excess gas to escape.
Taste the kimchi around the one week mark, it should have shown good signs of fermentation with a release of gas when you burped it and small bubbles rising to the surface of the brine. If you like it a little funkier then continue to ferment to your taste.
Once fermented place the kimchi into the fridge to slow down the fermentation. Make sure the kimchi is covered with a good amount of brine at all times otherwise it will spoil more quickly.
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Covered with brine the kimchi will last for at least three months in the fridge. The longer you leave it the softer the kimchi will get.
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