Korean Lettuce Kimchi (Quick Leaf Gochugaru Dressed)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Lettuce wilts within minutes of meeting salt, which caps the salting at 10 minutes, and the kimchi is mixed right before the meal, while the leaf edges still hold a little crunch and a gentle bitterness.
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Leaves left wet after salting dilute the seasoning until it tastes flat, and patting them dry, never wringing, prevents that. Fermented sand lance sauce (kkanari aekjeot) adds savory depth to the mild leaves, vinegar brightens the finish, and sesame seeds give small toasty bites. The leaves slump and release liquid as it sits, so it goes to the table at once. A spoonful of ssamjang, a soybean dipping paste, stirred in makes it earthier.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 250 g leaf lettuce under running water and trim away any damaged leaf tips.
Shake off water from between the leaves, then tear the lettuce by hand into bite-size pieces so the seasoning can coat it evenly.
- 2
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt evenly over the lettuce and let it stand for only 10 minutes.
Stop once the leaves look slightly relaxed, because longer salting makes this quick kimchi collapse too much.
- 3
After salting, shake off moisture without squeezing the lettuce hard.
Blot the leaf surfaces carefully, because visible water quickly thins the seasoning and leaves the finished kimchi watery and dull.
- 4
Mix 1.5 tablespoons gochugaru, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sand lance fish sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve and the chili flakes look evenly moistened.
- 5
Add the seasoning to the lettuce and toss quickly with your fingertips so the leaves do not tear.
Stop when the leaves are coated and softened, while the edges still keep a faint crisp texture.
- 6
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and serve right away for the clearest texture.
If serving chilled, keep it within about 2 hours and drain off any pooled liquid before bringing it to the table.
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