Yummy@Home Kimchi Quesidillas - Not quite Kogi, but close enough

After witnessing the stampede that was Monday's Kogi midtown BBQ stop, my boyfriend and I embarked on our attempt to recreate the kimchi quesidillas that were served.

We took a simple recipe from Serious Eats and modified it to our taste (as in doubled everything)- since we like things hot. Super hot!

After a quick trip to Whole Foods we embarked on the three day endeavor...

1. Making the Kimchi
Day 1:

• 1 large head Chinese cabbage (or substitute Napa cabbage)
• 6 tablespoons salt

Cut cabbage into 1-inch square pieces. Place in a bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Add water to cover, and mix well.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand in a cool place overnight.

Day 2:

• 6 scallions, including tops (we love scallions)
  
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons Sriracha (the recipe says 1 tablespoon - but like I said, we like it hot!)
  
• 3 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Added a secret ingredient from our Korean neighbors - Korean crushed red pepper spice from any Asian market. (If you can't find it just use crushed red pepper flakes)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Drain the cabbage and rinse quickly under cold running water.

Cut the scallions into 1-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into thin slices.

In a bowl, combine the scallions with the rinsed cabbage, garlic, chili sauce, ginger, sugar, applesauce, salt and enough water to cover.

Mix well, and place in a quart jar with a lid. Close the jar, and let stand for a few days in a cool place.

Finally - Taste mixture every day, and when it has a good balance of flavor and acidity, place in the refrigerator.

So we were kind of impatient and shortened this and put it in the refrigerator after two days - if you wait a bit longer the flavor might be more potent...

The kimchi will keep for two weeks.

2. Making the Quesidillas
For our quesidillas, we used wheat tortillas.

Instead of cheese, we actually cooked up an egg (I think eggs make everything taste better!), some onions and put the kimchi on top.

Very simple and easy - kind of like a kimchi omelette wrap!

Overall, while it didn't taste exactly like the ones served by Kogi - it was good in its own way.

A little lighter on the stomach - I think our kimchi didn't have quite the same thickness to it - maybe because we didn't wait long enough...

Although our kimchi wasn't as "red" or "thick" - it definitely had a kick to it - a spicy aftertaste probably courtesy of the red crushed pepper flakes we added.

I would say it is perfect for a light snack or a brunch dish with an extra kick.

Give it a try - let me know how it goes!  We will probably continue to perfect the recipe...will keep you posted!