AuthorBen WatsonForty years is a long time in the food business and I have to confess that staying ahead of the game in the food world can be trying. So, I’ve delegated to my daughter Lily. Since running the Smokehouse last summer, she’s actually moved up to the smoke and been working in some uber cool coffee joint in Shoreditch. I thought it might be a good idea if she brought us up to speed on what’s happening on the edge. First up is her grilled ‘kimchi’ hispi cabbage that worked so well last summer. The world seems to have slightly fallen out of love with kimchi (let’s face it, it is a bit overpowering) and moved on to other ferments, but this is a great recipe that doesn’t blow your head off.
Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbages, then cut them lengthways into quarters. Steam for 10 minutes.
Blend together garlic, ginger, onions, chilli, paste, and apple.
Rub this mixture over the cabbage quarters; try and get it between the leaves if possible.
Mix the salt and water together to form a brine.
Put the cabbage pieces into a container large enough to hold everything and pour the brine on top. Ensure the pieces are submerged – use a sandwich bag full of water if needed.
Leave for at least a few days, up to several weeks, depending on desired funkiness. When ready to cook, remove cabbage from brine and place on a hot grill.
Cook for a few minutes on each side. You want to see some blackened bits and it should be hot all the way through. The core will still be crunchy.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbages, then cut them lengthways into quarters. Steam for 10 minutes.
Blend together garlic, ginger, onions, chilli, paste, and apple.
Rub this mixture over the cabbage quarters; try and get it between the leaves if possible.
Mix the salt and water together to form a brine.
Put the cabbage pieces into a container large enough to hold everything and pour the brine on top. Ensure the pieces are submerged – use a sandwich bag full of water if needed.
Leave for at least a few days, up to several weeks, depending on desired funkiness. When ready to cook, remove cabbage from brine and place on a hot grill.
Cook for a few minutes on each side. You want to see some blackened bits and it should be hot all the way through. The core will still be crunchy.