Brussel sprouts kimchi with wild garlic and bladder wrack seaweed

So one of my favorite things to do is to try and recreate favorite recipes with as many local ingredients as possible. There is a lot of experimentation in that, a lot of failure but also some successes.

The latter is the case for this Brussel sprout kimchi or as I would call it if I wasn’t afraid of repeating myself, Lancashire kimchi.

What makes this local? Well the first obvious difference is that I use local brussels sprouts instead of nappa cabbage. The reason I’m going with them instead of normal cabbage is because their leaves are thinner (like the leaves of nappa) and easier to ferment and also because they are incredibly cute.

The second difference is that instead of garlic, I use local wild garlic leaves that add some color and some beautiful garlicky flavor to it.

The third difference, and in my opinion the most noteworthy, is that instead of shrimp paste I make a stock out of bladder wrack seaweed and I add that instead of brine, alongside some chopped up seaweed. This seaweed, when boiled, smells like shrimp and it gives the kimchi that flavor while keeping it vegan.

So ingredients for this kimchi are:

• 500 g brussel sprouts, dark ends trimmed
• 1/2 stalk lemongrass
• 1 small handfull coriander leaves
• 1 small handfull wild garlic leaves
• 1 cup bladder wrack seaweed
• 1 Tbs gokuchang paste
• ginger root to taste

Method:

Make sure your seaweed is washed well and put it with just enough water to cover it on medium heat and allow to simmer for 15-20′.

In a bowl, empty the washed brussel sprouts and carve an X on the bottom of each one. This is to allow the brine to go to the centre of the sprout and ensure a more even fermentation. Add about 1 Tbs of salt and mix well.

In a blender or pestle and mortar place ginger, garlic, Gokuchang paste, lemongrass and coriander leaves and process it until it is like a chunky paste.

Add some liquid from the seaweed to the blender or the mortar and mix until you have a thin paste.

Cover the brussel sprouts with the paste and leave at room temperature to ferment anywhere from 1-5 days depending on how sour you like your kimchi.

Enjoy!