Oisobagi Kimchi (stuffed cucumber kimchi)

Step 1

Cut each cucumber in half, then cut a slit down the middle up to 1/2" of the end. Rotate the cucumber 90 degrees and cut another slit down the middle up to 1/2" of the end. If you look at the third photo above, you'll see that the cucumber is cut into quarters lengthwise, but the quarters are still attached at the very end. This makes a pocket in the cucumber for us to stuff.

Step 2

Cover the cucumbers in a generous amount of kosher salt. The salt helps coax the water out of the cucumbers making them more crunchy. Don't worry about over-salting as we will be washing off the extra salt later. Make sure you get the salt in between the slits in the cucumber. Set them aside for at least an hour to allow as much water to come out as possible.

Step 3

While the cucumber is resting, shred a carrot, chop up 1 bunch of garlic chives, then add them to a bowl with 3 cloves of grated garlic.

Step 4

Add the gochugaru, miso, toasted sesame seeds and honey.

Step 5

Use your clean hands to mash all the ingredients together.

Step 6

When the cucumbers have gone from an opaque pale green to a translucent green with water collecting at the bottom of the bowl, they are ready. Rinse them thoroughly in cold water and squeeze as much water out of each cucumber as you can.

Step 7

Stuff a few tablespoons of the garlic chive mixture into the pocket of each cucumber.

Step 8

You can eat the oisobagi kimchi after a day, but it's best if you let it pickle in the fridge for at least one week.