Kale Kimchi Pancakes

Kimchi 

Place a large bowl on your weighing scales & set it to zero. Add the kale to the bowl, with the rhubarb, coriander & nasturtium.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar & nori to a food processor & blitz until its transforms into a smooth paste. Add it to the bowl with the kale, along with the gochugaru. Take the weight of the contents & work out what 3% of the weight is, then add that weight in sea salt. 

Massage the ingredients together for 5 minutes or so. Then cover the bowl over with a clean kitchen cloth. 

Set the bowl aside for at least 2 hours so the natural brine is drawn out. 

When you can visibly see the brine thats been created, transfer the mix to your fermentation vessel & hold everything beneath the brine with a fermentation weight. If the courgettes haven’t produced a huge amount of brine, then whisk together some filtered water with sea salt & pour that over to top it up. For this I just work out what 2% of the weight of the water I am adding is. For example if your adding an additional 100ml of water, then you need to stir in 2g of sea salt. Make sure the salt is fully dissolved before you pour it into your vessel. Be sure to leave about an inch gap from the surface of the brine to the lid. 

Transfer the kimchi to some sterilised jars then place a sheet of nori directly over the top, plugging the kimchi. Place a glass fermentation weight on top to hold everything beneath the brine. See index for fermentation tips & equipment.  

Leave the kimchi to ferment out of the fridge for about 7-10 days. Length of fermentation will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Optimal temperature is around 21 degrees C.

Give the kimchi’s brine a little taste after around the 5 day mark, when it has an acidic tang you like, place it into the fridge where it can be stored for up to 3 months. 

To turn the kimchi into Chinese style pancakes you’ll need;

Pancakes 

First make the dough. Combine the plain flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. 

Gradually stir in the the warm water, stirring until until a rough dough forms. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 3-4 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. The dough will be on the white side, but don’t be tempted to add too much additional flour or the pancakes will be stiff. 

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, take your homemade kimchi and finely chop it until it reaches a texture similar to a coarse paste. Be sure to have any large lumps as they’ll puncture the delicate dough.

After the dough has rested, divide into 6-8 equal portions. 

Lightly oil your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking, then roll 1 portion out into a long rectangle shape, as thin as possible really. Brush the dough with a little sesame oil then apply a thin layer of chopped kimchi over the whole rectangle. Then roll the dough up width ways into a long sausage, try to roll it as tightly as possible which will result in more layers! Then grab one end of the roll, and roll it up into a spiral, almost like a snail shell shape. Now, using your rolling pin, roll the spiral into a flat disc pancake shape, around 5mm thick. Place the pancake onto a piece of greaseproof paper & set aside until you’ve rolled out the rest of the pasty portions. 

To cook the pancakes, heat a skillet over medium heat and add a little sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, place a pancake in the skillet and cook it for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Serve the flaky pancakes hot with a little sauce sauce, spring onions & sesame seeds.