6 servings
PREP TIME
25 minutes
PICKLING TIME
2 to 3 days
1 head Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 daikon radish, grated
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup cooked black-eyed peas, or canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup black currants
4 red plums, quartered and sliced
4 Asian pears, quartered and sliced
¼ cup julienned fresh ginger
½ bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1½ teaspoons spicy chile paste
¾ cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup sweet sake wine
3 tablespoons fish sauce
Fermented vegetables are this beautiful bridge between West Africa and Asia. You’ll see a fermented sweet potato in West Africa that is so much in line with the pickled plums (umeboshi) of Japan or the pickled mangos (achar) that they make in India. Canning and pickling vegetables is a way of preserving the harvest all around the world. This dish plays on the traditions of Korean kimchi: building on the base of pickled cabbage and daikon radish and throwing in some black-eyed peas, Asian pear, and some beautiful red plums. You can play around with the mix of fruit and legumes.
Gently toss together the vegetables, peas, fruits, ginger, and cilantro in a large nonreactive container.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, making sure everything is dissolved and well combined.
Pour the marinade over the vegetable mixture and cover. Let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 days before using to get the full potency of the marinade.