I had Gluten Free Korean Spicy Pickles on one of my trips to Florida. They were amazingly delicious and I knew I was going to need to figure out how to make them myself. This presentation is the results of trying multiple recipes to get the original flavor I had at an amazing restaurant called Blackbird. If you are in the Palm Beach area of Florida, check it out. It is an experience worth having.
When I got home, I tried to make some. It did not go well enough to post a recipe. I found lots of mangled attempts online, but nothing that tasted authentic.
Scouring the Internet for a Gluten Free Korean Spicy Pickles Recipe
Sometimes it is very hard to find authentic recipes online. So many people want to put their spin on recipes. I just want something that tastes like it would if I were in Korea. I am a big fan of Korean food. Wonderfully comforting spicy food. Oh Yum!
So, after a few bad fails, I learned and learned. I tend to watch Maangchi who is an amazing youtuber. She helps me with all the best foods. Truly informative videos. Her food is inspiring. But I chose this time to scout the internet late at night when I could not sleep to find what would look like an actual recipe.
What I knew about Korean cuisine prior to scouring was that sesame is king and queen. From roasted sesame seeds (yes, they need to be roasted) to sesame oil, to the Korean red chili pepper must be included in the recipe or it is not even close. I found this one on reddit. It worked and I got the flavor I was looking for.
Gluten Free Korean Spicy Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 whole English Seedless Cucumbers
- 4 minced green onions
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds roasted
- 2 Tbsp Korean red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/3 tbsp sesame oil
- extra fine kosher salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- English Cucumbers are not authentic to this recipe, but they are the closest we will get here in America. So, we need to slice them and then sprinkle them with salt to get them to release all the liquid they can. This step is critical to getting the right flavor.
- Slice (either manually or with a Mandolin) the cucumbers.
- Layer the cucumber in a dish and sprinkle some salt over the top - Lightly. After each layer, salt lightly. Leave for at least 10-20 minutes for the water to be released.
- Mince the garlic and place it in a small mixing bowl.
- Mince the green onion and place it in the mixing bowl with the garlic
- Add the Red Pepper Flakes to the mixing bowl
- Add the Roasted Sesame Seeds to the mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar to the mixing bowl
- Add the Sesame Oil to the mixing bowl
- Mix all the spices and oil together to create the paste.
- Slowly begin to squeeze the water from the cucumbers and place into a large mixing bowl. This will take patience and time. Apply enough pressure to release the water, not enough to crush the cucumber.
- Once all the cucumbers have been squeezed, add the paste and mix it all up. That is all it takes.
I keep this in the fridge to add to meals. I love them in salads, on sandwiches or just as a little spice during a meal. Yum. They remain crisp and delicious while having just a little spicy punch. I absolutely love them, and I hope you do too.