Baek Jong Won’s Style Braised Croaker
Delicious and Deeply Flavored Braised Croaker Recipe – Just Like Baek Jong Won!
Enjoy a rich and flavorful braised croaker dish made at home! Using Baek Jong Won’s renowned recipe, you can easily create a delicious fish stew. The soft croaker, tender radish, and savory sauce are perfect companions to a bowl of rice. This recipe works wonderfully even with frozen croaker.
Main Ingredients
- 5 Croaker fish
- 1/8 Radish (approx. 200g)
- 500ml Water (2 cups)
- 1 Stock pack (or a small piece of dried kelp and anchovies)
Baek Jong Won’s All-Purpose Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Coarse Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1/2 Tbsp Fine Gochugaru
- 1/2 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Doenjang (Korean soybean paste) (to remove fishiness)
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (for umami)
- 1/2 Tbsp Sugar (to adjust sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (rice wine)
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger (or a pinch of ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Coarse Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1/2 Tbsp Fine Gochugaru
- 1/2 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Doenjang (Korean soybean paste) (to remove fishiness)
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (for umami)
- 1/2 Tbsp Sugar (to adjust sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (rice wine)
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger (or a pinch of ginger powder)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
1. **Prepare the Croaker**: If using fresh croaker, scrape off the scales with a knife. For frozen croaker, thaw it completely. Using sharp scissors, carefully trim the fins from the sides, top, bottom, and tail. Rinse the fish thoroughly under cold water. (Traditionally, the innards are left in for croaker stew, but if you are concerned about fishiness, you can remove them.)
Step 2
2. **Slice the Radish**: Cut the radish into approximately 0.5cm thick slices. This thickness allows the radish to become tender and absorb the sauce well when placed at the bottom of the pot.
Step 3
3. **Make Broth and Cook Radish**: Pour 500ml of water into a pot and arrange the sliced radish at the bottom. Add the stock pack. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the radish is tender. If you don’t have a stock pack, you can make your own broth with dried kelp and anchovies, or simply use plain water.
Step 4
4. **Prepare Vegetables**: While the radish is cooking, prepare the vegetables for the stew. Slice the green onion diagonally, the chili peppers diagonally, and the onion into thin strips. (The photo shows scallions, but green onions will add a more aromatic flavor. Adjust the amount of chili peppers if you prefer it spicier.)
Step 5
5. **Make the All-Purpose Seasoning**: In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp coarse gochugaru, 1/2 Tbsp fine gochugaru, and 1/2 Tbsp gochujang. Mix well. Next, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1/2 Tbsp doenjang. Doenjang helps to eliminate any fishy odors and adds a clean flavor to the fish. Then, add 1 Tbsp fish sauce and 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Finally, mix in 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp grated ginger (or a pinch of ginger powder), and 1 tsp black pepper. Stir everything together until well combined to create the seasoning paste. (Be careful not to add too much ginger, as it can make the dish bitter.)
Step 6
6. **Braise the Croaker and Sauce**: Once the radish has cooked for 15 minutes, carefully place the prepared croaker fish on top of the radish in the pot. Spoon the prepared seasoning paste evenly over the fish. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the fish to cook through. Basting the fish with the sauce from the pot occasionally will make it more moist and delicious.
Step 7
7. **Add Vegetables and Finish**: When the croaker is almost cooked, add the sliced green onions, chili peppers, red chili pepper, and onion. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 2 minutes. The vegetables will soften slightly and add extra flavor to the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed – add a little more soy sauce if it’s not salty enough, or a touch more sugar if you prefer it sweeter. Serve hot over steamed rice and enjoy!
