I know Chef Bill Kim from my days living in Chicago. Am a big fan of him and his restaurants Urbanbelly, Belly Shack, and BellyQ. So, when I received a copy of his cookbook — Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces — I couldn’t wait to dig in. According to Chef Kim, the seven master sauces he introduces us to in his cookbook are designed to be made in advance to make your cooking easier, more relaxed, and fun, which is what Korean BBQ should be. They are designed to act as a flavor foundation for a dish and a starting point to make more sauces, marinades, and dressings. His sauces are bold in flavor, new and exciting to the palate, and the foundation for various recipes, which are color-coded by master sauce, throughout the book.

While I’ve only had the book for a few weeks, I’m slowly making my way through Kim’s master sauces. The one that immediately caught my attention was his magic paste, which also happens to be his secret (or, perhaps, not-so-secret — anymore) addition to his recipe for cabbage kimchi.  While I’ve never met a kimchi I didn’t like, his take is a bit different than others I’ve tasted. It’s also much quicker and easier to make, which is always a bonus.

First off, the magic paste — the combination of fresh ginger, garlic, fennel seeds, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, and Korean chili flakes is sweet and spicy and salty. The fennel seed in particular lends an interesting anise note, which seamlessly complements the funkiness of the fish sauce. From there, it’s just a matter of preparing a salt brine for the cabbage, letting sit 15 minutes in the brine, rinsing, and then combining the remainder of the ingredients. Super easy!

Time to make some kimchi…

Magic Paste Kimchi

Adapted from Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces

1 small napa cabbage (about 1  1/4 pounds), chopped into roughly 2-inch squares
3 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced seedless cucumber
1 batch Magic Paste (recipe below)

Place cabbage in a large, heat-proof bowl. Bring water to a bowl, stir in the salt and stir until it dissolves. Pour the salted water over the cabbage and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the cabbage in a colander, rinse thoroughly with cold water and then drain well.

Combine the cabbage, onion, cucumber, and magic paste in a mixing bowl. Toss until well combined. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve (preferably the same day).

Magic Paste

Note: Kim’s recipe calls for 1/2 cup of fish sauce. I recommend starting with less and adding more to taste.

1-inch piece of ginger, grated
5 cloves of garlic, grated
2 tablespoons fennel seed, ground to a powder
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup fish sauce (more to taste)
1/4 cup Korean chile flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined.