Crispy and Spicy Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)

Ingredients

• They need about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes of brining time; I brined mine for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Some people mention not having enough filling, which is probably because cucumbers vary in thickness and size. You can prepare more than my recipe calls for.
• If you do not like red chili peppers, you can substitute carrots.
• Any cucumber works, whether Korean white jade cucumbers (Joseon cucumbers) or spiny cucumbers (gasi cucumbers).

Steps

1. 

   Any cucumber works, whether Korean white jade cucumbers or spiny cucumbers. I used Korean white jade cucumbers.

   Their lighter color makes the seasoned kimchi look so pretty. Take coarse sea salt in your hands and rub the surface of the cucumbers to wash them thoroughly. Washing them with produce wash as well will be even better. Wear gloves when rubbing with salt.

   I was lazy and did it with bare hands, and I felt like I was going to wear a hole right through my palms.

2. 

   Cut the washed cucumbers into 4 pieces if they are large, or into 3 pieces if they seem a bit small.

   Leaving about 1 cm at the bottom of each piece, make a crosswise slit through the center.

   That is where you will stuff the seasoning.

3. 

   Place the slit cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tbsp coarse sea salt.

4. 

   Bring water to a boil in a pot, using enough to submerge the cucumbers. I boiled about 4 cups.

   Pour the rolling boiling water right over the salted cucumbers.

   The salt will dissolve quickly. They need about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes of brining time;

   I brined mine for 1 hour 15 minutes.

   While they are brining, shall we make the filling and the seasoning paste?

5. 

   I prepared 200 g of garlic chives (buchu) that are tender and not too thick, half of a large onion, and about 4 to 5 red chili peppers.

   Half will be julienned for the filling, and half will be used to make the seasoning paste. You will also need garlic and ginger like this.

6. 

   Julienne all the filling ingredients. Cut the garlic chives into lengths of about 1 to 1.5 cm. Cut the onion in half and julienne it, and split 2 red chili peppers in half, shake out the seeds, and slice them into thin strips.

   If you do not like red chili peppers, you can substitute carrots.

7. 

   For the seasoning paste, place the garlic, red chili peppers, and anchovy fish sauce in a blender and blend.

   If you do not like spicy food, you can leave out the red chili peppers.

   Blending red chili peppers in makes the flavor sharp and strongly spicy.

   My family loves spicy food, so chili peppers always go into our seasoning.

8. 

   Add the blended mixture, gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), sugar, and toasted sesame seeds to the julienned filling ingredients, and toss gently.

   Garlic chives are tender, so you must not knead them too roughly.

9. 

   The filling is done. This tastes delicious even eaten just as it is.

   You can make garlic chive kimchi this way, too.

10. 

    The cucumbers are ready when you can bend them backward without them snapping. Break off a piece and taste it; it should not be too salty.

    Since the filling is seasoned, if the cucumbers seem salty, just soak them in water for a little while.

    Rinse them in water 2 to 3 times and drain the water.

11. 

    Now you just need to stuff the filling into the cucumbers; use chopsticks to tuck it in neatly.

    Mmm, the color is so lovely. When you have no appetite, this alone will take care of it.

12. 

    Arrange the fully stuffed cucumbers neatly. Pack all the cucumbers into a container.

    Pour about half a cup of anchovy broth into the bowl to rinse out the remaining seasoning, and gently pour that liquid into the kimchi container.

    If you do not care for kimchi brine, you can skip this step.

Ppunwife's tips

• Wear gloves when rubbing with salt. I was lazy and did it with bare hands, and I felt like I was going to wear a hole right through my palms.
• Garlic chives are tender, so you must not knead them too roughly.
• The cucumbers are ready when you can bend them backward without them snapping. Break off a piece and taste it; it should not be too salty. Since the filling is seasoned, if they seem salty, just soak them in water for a little while.
• Pour about half a cup of anchovy broth into the bowl to rinse out the remaining seasoning, and gently pour that liquid into the kimchi container. If you do not care for kimchi brine, you can skip this step.

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