The Japexican take on a Korean Classic; Kimchi Fried Rice

So you are a smart person and you followed the last blog post and made some delicious Kimchi, by now you have been eating Kimchi every day, having it as a side dish with virtually everything, salads mostly and next to some fried sausages (as it cuts through the fat beautifully while cleaning your palette), you have most likely added them to a burger and you have been a little more adventurous and have most likely added it to a Bloody Mary or Michelada. Good job. But you are running out of the fermented goodness, a small portion remains at the bottom of that big jar, a good amount of red kimchi juice is covering that last bit of cabbage and it is getting a little cold outside, this is just the right time to try this one out. Crispy bacon, rice and a hint of spice is exactly what you need to lift your spirits. So, while you start preparing your next batch of Kimchi, you should give yourself a few minutes and enjoy my take on Kimchi Fried Rice, thank me later. 

If this does not satisfy you, nothing will. 

The Japexican Take on Fermented Goodness: Kimchi.

Kimchi can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated, think about it, a little portion of unidentified stinky and spicy vegetables may be a little off-putting for some, but the Koreans have been at it for  hundreds of years, and they seem to be doing alright. 

Fermentation is one of the best ways of preserving food, by creating the right condition for good germs to grow we prevent the growth of nasty and harmful ones, allowing us to keep food for a very long time (the yummy flavors are just a tasty cherry on top of the cake) this was particularly important in Korea, where winters can be really harsh and months can go by without fresh produce.

Even today, many Korean families gather together in November to prepare huge batches of Kimchi to last the whole winter, in summer, lighter less fermented Kimchis are prepared and consumed with salads. Kimchi is so embedded in Korean food culture, that new houses are built and sold with a Kimchi fridge. But hey, I don’t blame them, it is fucking amazing, it goes great with grilled salty meats as its sourness cuts the richness and fat of meat, it goes great on the side of any rice dish, it goes great as part of a nice pork belly stew, it goes great on top of some korean tacos or why not, just on top of a rice cracker (I confess I do this more often than not). So hey, why not give it a chance, after you overcome the funkyness you will discover a nice, complex and delicious little thing that goes well with everything.

And as it turns out, we are now re-discovering the benefits of fermented foods, apparently Kimchi is great for your gut, aids in digestion and is, a real superfood… but honestly, who gives a fuck when the thing is so goddamn delicious? So, without further ado, and before hipsters ruin it for the rest of us, here is my no fuss Kimchi recipe. Thank me later.

Kimchi ready to start fermenting.

The Japexican take on Asian Fusion; Red Curry Ceviche.

This one came to me a couple of  years ago, I was living in Asturias, Spain, right in front of the Cantabric sea. I was a little surprised that  even though there was such a broad variety of freshly caught fish, most of the dishes of the region were heavily cooked and more often than not deep fried, don’t get me wrong, I love the Asturian seafood; its hearty, rich and delicious, but sometimes I want my fish to be fresh and spicy.  So, after a visit to the only decent Asian shop in the area and having bought a bunch of goodies, including some nice Red Curry paste, I decided to go to the local fish market and get some beautiful piece of fish. The end result was this; my Red Curry  Ceviche. 

Fancy little ceviche in the shot glasses.