Kimchi Paste (Kimchi Yangnyum)

Making kimchi becomes an easy task with a jar of this on hand. In many cases, all you are doing is salting the vegetables, discarding liquid and mixing in a few spoonfuls of this paste. Not just for making kimchi, this paste is also used in flavoring hot pots and soups.  In Korea, an anchovy sauce is used as an ingredient to aid in the fermentation process. We use the more widely available Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce. We’ve provided two yields of this essential paste. For ease of preparation, we recommend making the larger batch. 

By Taekyung Chung & Debra Samuels, The Korean Table

Makes about 3 cups (750 g)
1 cup(100 g) Korean coarse red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
4 tablespoons garlic paste
2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fine-grain sea salt or kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
5 tablespoons fish sauce

Makes 6 tablespoons
1/4 cup (25 g)cup Korean coarse red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Mix ingredients together in a medium bowl with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth paste. Store this paste in an airtight container in the refridgerator. It will last for 2 months.