Mu (Korean Radish) Ssam (Wrap). Delicious discs with a tangy punch that goes with a lot of things! Regarding Korean food it's great for a number of things:
- Korean BBQ- layer Mu Ssam on top of lettuce before wrapping the meat.
- Bibimbap - slice into long strips and add to the bowl!
- Noodles - slice into long strips and add to noodles w/ some gochujang, soy, sugar, sesame oil
- Kimbap - tastes delicious in kimbap in place of danmuji (a yellow sweet pickled radish)
For non-Korean food you can add it to salads, sandwiches, tacos...a great side to grilled meat.. list goes on!
It's also super easy to make and keeps in the fridge for ages! Just remember to access it with a dry, clean spoon. The brine can be used again- just slice up the veg and throw it in. Let it pickle for 2-3 days, a bit longer than the first brine.
I've experimented with a number of vegetables and vinegars widely available at UK supermarkets.
For veggies. Mooli is the most similar in terms of texture and crunch. Circumference is a bit small compared to what you would get with a Korean Mu but it's workable :)
We also really liked Kohlrabi - not as crisp but more flavoursome.
Beetroot was a fail- tastes like what you can buy at the supermarket just thinner and a bit crunchier. Not really worth the effort in my view.
For vinegars. White Wine Vinegar was the winner for us. It's lighter and crisp vs. other vinegars so the taste is most similar to the Mu Ssam you can get in Korea.
What you need:
- Mooli (or another type of radish/turnip)
- Sea Salt
- Vinegar (recommend White Wine Vinegar or any other light and crisp vinegar)
- Granulated White Sugar (Recommended for colour (or lack of!)
Cooking tools:
Mandolin, Pickling Jar, Measuring Cup
What to do:
Wash and peel the Mooli, removing any hard bits.
Slice with a mandolin so each slice is thin and circular.
Place Mooli slices in the pickling jar so it is about an inch from the top of the jar. Fill the jar with water so Mooli is submerged. Leave about 2 cm space from the top to avoid overflow. Measure out the water. This is how much brine I need.
Brine:
Ratio for the brine is equal parts: Sugar, Vinegar and Water. The Sugar absorbs into the liquids so ignoring the Sugar, we divide the brine amount in 2: half Water and half Vinegar. Add Salt to the Water. Amount of Salt recommended is 1% of the Water amount. The Salt & Water once mixed should taste salty. Almost but not quite like the sea if that gives an idea. Pour into the jar over the Mooli. Mix the Sugar and Vinegar next. Stir until the Sugar is melted. Pour this into the jar too.
Example for Brine
: For my small pickling jar, I measured out 1/2 cup of water. I need 1/4 cup Water, 1/4 cup Vinegar, 1/4 cup Sugar, 0.6 g of Salt
Salt measurement is 1/4 cup water = 60ml x 1%= 0.6 ml Salt.
Close the lid tight and pop it into the fridge. It is ready to eat tomorrow!
Enjoy!
