Of all the things you can do with zucchini, I’ll bet you didn’t expect this! When you’ve rotated through fritters, pancakes, quick bread, stuffed, baked and fried, turn your attention to Zucchini Kimchi!
The original recipe for this faux kimchi is based on the recipe from koreanbapsang.com (via friend Ylandre J.). Korean Bapsang uses cucumbers in place of zucchini, but traditional kimchi is made using cabbage. Their recipe also uses a few Asian ingredients that are hard to find so my version is simplified and uses ingredients that most larger grocery stores carry. Best of all, you can eat it the same day, or if you prefer a traditional kimchi fermented taste, it lasts about a week in the fridge – and, you don’t have to bury it in the ground like kimchi recipes from days of yore.
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Zucchini, Kimchi-style
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini, cut to bite sized pieces
- 1/2 Tablespoon fine sea salt or Kosher salt (do NOT use iodized table salt), more to taste
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts, diced about 1/4-inch (.5 cm)
- 1 small onion, any color, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Gochujang paste (start with 1 Tablespoon, taste, and decide if you want more). If you cannot find this chili paste, use 1 – 2 teaspoons red hot chili flakes. Add more per your preference
- 1 – 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 – 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or double the oyster sauce)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 – 4 cloves)
- 1 – 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 – 3 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Place the diced zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Toss it well and set it aside for 30 minutes. The salt will help draw extra liquid from the zucchini
- While the zucchini is resting, in a large mixing bowl spread the Gochujang paste around the inside of the bowl and add half of the rest of the ingredients. This makes it easier to distribute all the seasonings once the zucchini is added
- After 30 minutes, give the colander a good shake, but do NOT rinse the zucchini. Add half of the zucchini to the mixing bowl along with the rest of the seasonings, then add the rest of the zucchini
- Toss very well until the zucchini are fully coated with the seasonings. This will look dry at this point, but the zucchini will release its last liquid as they absorb the seasonings and marinate. At this point taste a piece of zucchini and add extra salt or gochujang paste (or chili flakes), if desired. The flavor tends to intensify as it matures
- Note: You can start eating this kimchi on the same day but let it marinate for at least 4 hours at room temperature. If you like the fermented taste of more traditional kimchi, leave it out covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours to expedite the fermentation process, then refrigerate
Greg Nelson Cooks 