Pickled Napa Cabbage Recipe

January 8, 2009 in Recipes by danky

There is no dessert course in a traditional Japanese meal. Instead, pickles that refresh the palate are often the last thing eaten.


Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Makes about 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4lb napa cabbage, cut crosswise into1/3-inch-wide strips
  • 3tablespoons finely chopped carrot
  • 1 1/2teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1oz (30 grams) kombu, about 20 square inches
  • 4fresh green shiso leaves or 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

    DIRECTIONS

    Toss together cabbage, carrot, and salt in a bowl. Put kombu in a narrow straight-sided container (5 to 6 inches in diameter) and top with cabbage mixture. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit just inside container and enclose it in a sealable plastic bag. Top cabbage with plastic-covered round and stack 4 to 6 pounds of canned goods on top to weight it. Chill weighted cabbage at least 3 hours.


    Discard kombu. Squeeze excess liquid from cabbage and toss with shiso.
    Cook’s note:
    • Cabbage may be weighted up to 1 day.

    • Share/Bookmark