Korean Pickled Radish Wraps

Name: Korean Pickled Radish Wraps
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Korean radish 700 g; water 400 ml; vinegar 200 ml; sugar 140 g; salt 1 tbsp; bay leaf 2 pcs

Slice 700 g Korean radish into even 2 mm rounds, because thicker slices will not bend cleanly around grilled meat. Dissolve 140 g sugar and 1 tbsp salt in 400 ml water and 200 ml vinegar with 2 bay leaves, boil for about 30 seconds, and let the brine cool to lukewarm, since hot brine partly cooks the radish and softens it. Cover the layered slices fully and refrigerate: the radish can be served after 1 day and tastes best on day 3.

Quick answer

Total time: At least 1 day
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Radish sliced 2 mm thin and soaked in a sweet-sour brine becomes a soft, pliable wrapper for pork belly or fried chicken.

Any thicker slice resists rolling and gets sliced again until the pieces match. The brine boils only 30 seconds past the first bubbles at the edge, because longer boiling drives off the vinegar's sharpness, and it is cooled to lukewarm before pouring, since hot brine partly cooks the radish and makes the slices tear when rolled. The wraps are ready after a day, though the sourness and sweetness reach the center by day three. A slice of lemon in the container adds a citrus note, and each bite of fatty meat gets a sharp, clean finish from the wrap.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

bay leaf2 pcs

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Trim the Korean radish, pat it dry, and slice 700 g into even 2 mm rounds.

Set aside any thick pieces and slice them again, because thick radish will not bend cleanly around grilled meat.
2

Add 400 ml water, 200 ml vinegar, 140 g sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 bay leaves to a pot.

Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve before the liquid boils hard.
3

When small bubbles rise around the edge of the brine, boil it for only about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.

Avoid prolonged boiling so the vinegar stays bright and the seasoning balance remains clear.
4

Let the brine cool until it is lukewarm and no longer gives off strong steam.

Do not pour it while hot, because the radish can partially cook, soften, and lose the crisp texture needed for wraps.
5

Layer the radish in an airtight container, pressing it down gently without folding the slices sharply.

Pour in enough lukewarm brine to fully cover the radish, and add one small lemon slice if you want a fresher aroma.
6

Seal the container and refrigerate it.

The radish can be served after one day, but the flavor is best on day three, when the sweet-sour brine has reached the center of each slice. Serve chilled with grilled pork belly or chicken.