Pickled Lettuce Kimchi

Steps

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1. 1
   Dissolve coarse salt in 600 ml of water in a large bowl, stirring well until completely dissolved.
   ▶ ≈0:02
2. 2
   Submerge the 1 kg head lettuce in the salt brine, rolling it around to coat evenly. Let it salt-cure for about 30 minutes. For loose leaf lettuce, reduce the time to 10–15 minutes, turning it halfway through.
   ▶ ≈0:23
3. 3
   Roughly snip 10 dried red chilies with scissors into a bowl. Pour in a whole can of pear juice drink and let soak for at least 15 minutes until softened.
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4. 4
   Add the soaked chilies with pear juice, 3 tbsp anchovy sauce, 3 tbsp skipjack tuna sauce, 1 tbsp shrimp sauce solids, garlic cloves, half a roughly chopped onion, and 0.5 cup cooked rice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
   ▶ ≈0:56
5. 5
   Stir 1 tbsp red chili flakes and a pinch of white sesame seeds into the blended paste.
   ▶ ≈1:34
6. 6
   Remove the cured lettuce from the brine without rinsing, drain well in a colander. Trim away any damaged leaves.
   ▶ ≈1:42
7. 7
   Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of a container, then coat the drained lettuce leaves evenly with the remaining sauce.
   ▶ ≈1:55
8. 8
   Pack the dressed lettuce into a sealed container and refrigerate for cold fermentation—never ferment at room temperature. After 2–3 days of refrigeration, it will develop a clear brine and be ready to eat.
   ▶ ≈2:08