Dolsan Gat-kimchi (Yeosu Mustard Leaf Kimchi)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large basin or kimchi tub, at least 8 liters
• •Large colander or draining rack
• •Small saucepan for sweet rice porridge
• •Clean kimchi container, glass jar, or onggi with at least 3 liter capacity
• •Food-safe gloves

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim and wash

   Trim only the dry root ends and any yellow leaves from the gat, keeping the stalks whole. Rinse in several changes of cold water, lifting the greens out each time so grit stays behind. Do not scrub the leaves. Mustard greens bruise, and bruised leaves ferment muddy instead of sharp.

   If the stalks are very thick, split only the bottom 3 inches lengthwise. Leave the leafy tops whole so the kimchi has its proper long shape.
2. 2

   Salt the stems

   Dissolve 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt in 8 cups water in a large basin. Dip the gat bundles through the brine, then lay them in the basin with the thick stems gathered toward the center. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup coarse sea salt mostly over the stems, using only a light scatter over the leaves. This is the measure people forget: the stem needs salt, the leaf needs mercy.

3. 3

   Turn and bend

   Salt the gat for 4 to 5 hours, turning the bundles every hour and moving the top ones to the bottom. After 4 hours, test a stem: it should bend into a soft curve without snapping, while the leaf should be wilted but still green. If the stem breaks, salt 30 to 60 minutes longer. If the leaves look limp and dark, stop at once.

4. 4

   Rinse and drain

   Rinse the salted gat gently in two changes of cold water. Taste a thick stem. It should be seasoned through but not salty enough to make you wince. Drain in a colander for 1 hour, stems upward if you can, so water runs away from the leaves. Wet greens thin the paste and make weak kimchi.

5. 5

   Cook the porridge

   Whisk 1 cup water with 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour in a small pot until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool completely. This porridge helps the seasoning cling to long leaves and gives the fermentation something steady to eat.

6. 6

   Mix the paste

   In a large bowl, mix the cooled porridge, gochugaru, fish sauce, chopped saeujeot, plum syrup, garlic, ginger, grated pear, and grated onion. Let it stand 20 minutes so the gochugaru blooms and softens. Taste a little paste on a piece of drained stem. It should be salty, savory, and lightly sweet, stronger than you want the finished kimchi, because the greens will drink it in.

7. 7

   Season the greens

   Add the minari and jjokpa to the paste if using. Working with one small bundle of gat at a time, rub paste along the stems first, then lightly through the leaves. Use a firm hand at the bottom and a lighter hand at the top. Do not crush the greens into a red paste pile. Gat should still taste like gat.

8. 8

   Fold and pack

   Fold each seasoned bundle once or twice to fit your container, keeping the stems and leaves aligned. Pack into a clean kimchi container or glass jar, pressing down to remove air pockets but not smashing the leaves. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace because fermentation will push liquid upward.

9. 9

   Start fermentation

   Leave the packed kimchi at cool room temperature for 24 hours if your kitchen is around 20°C, or 12 to 18 hours if it is warm. When you see a little brine rise and smell the first clean tang, move it to the refrigerator. Gat-kimchi ripens slowly. It is edible after 3 days, better after 1 to 2 weeks, and deeper after a month.

10. 10

    Serve cleanly

    Use clean tongs every time. Cut only what you will serve, into 2-inch lengths, and return the rest to the container pressed under its brine. Scatter sesame seeds only at the table if you like them. Sesame in the storage jar dulls the clean mustard scent over time.

Chef Tips

• •Buy gat with sturdy stems, fresh green leaves, and a sharp mustard scent. If the leaves are yellow, slimy at the base, or smell sour before salting, cook something else. My teacher would have sent it back without a word.
• •Dolsan gat is the point of this dish. If you cannot find it, use Korean mustard greens or gai choy, but choose bunches with thick stems and broad leaves. The kimchi will be good, but it will not carry the same Yeosu character.
• •Do not increase the sugar to tame the mustard bite. Gat-kimchi is supposed to be pungent. A little pear and maesil-cheong round the edges; too much sweetness makes it taste flat.
• •A plastic kimchi box is an honest modern vessel. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요. When times change, food must change too. What you cannot shorten is the salting and draining.
• •For a southern table, serve this with plain rice, grilled fish, galbitang, seolleongtang, or pork suyuk. It has enough backbone to stand beside rich food.

Advance Preparation

• •The sweet rice porridge can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Cool it fully before mixing the paste, or the gochugaru turns dull and the garlic smells harsh.
• •The kimchi needs at least 3 days before serving, with 1 to 2 weeks giving a better balance of mustard bite, seafood depth, and lactic tang.
• •Stored cold and pressed under its brine, gat-kimchi keeps well for 2 to 3 months. If it grows very sour, chop it into stews or cook it with pork instead of serving it raw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)