Chef Dajung’s All-Purpose Marinade Base ‘Damhyang’
Create ‘Damhyang,’ a Secret Ingredient to Elevate Your Cooking Skills
Many recipes from Chef Dajung, revered by food bloggers as a culinary instructor, feature a special ingredient called ‘Damhyang.’ It’s said that without Damhyang and a good seasoned soy sauce, it’s impossible to achieve the authentic flavors described in her recipes. Today, we’re making this essential Damhyang from scratch. Let’s prepare a versatile base sauce perfect for marinating meats and fish, and even for refreshing kimchi broths!
Ingredients
- 200g Pear
- 200g Radish
- 200g Onion
- 200g Garlic
- 10g Ginger
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the onion and radish thoroughly and cut them into manageable pieces, about 2-3 cm in size. This will make them much easier to blend later.
Step 2
Peel the whole garlic cloves and prepare them. Garlic plays a crucial role in removing unwanted odors and adding depth of flavor.
Step 3
Cut the crisp, refreshing pear into similar-sized pieces after removing the skin and core. The pear will contribute sweetness and a mellow aroma to the sauce.
Step 4
Chef Dajung uses a juicer to extract only the juice, but a blender works perfectly well if you don’t have one. Place the prepared onion, radish, garlic, pear, and ginger into the blender and process until smooth. If the blender struggles to run, add about 1/3 cup of the pureed pear to help achieve a smooth consistency.
Step 5
Now, to create a clear sauce, strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Gently press with a spatula to help extract more liquid.
Step 6
For an even smoother and cleaner sauce, strain the liquid once more through a finer sieve or a cheesecloth. This process will yield a clear Damhyang sauce free of any solids.
Step 7
And there you have it! The magical marinade base ‘Damhyang’ is complete, ready to tenderize meats, remove any gamey odors from fish, and enhance overall flavor. It’s the foundation for truly delicious cooking.
Step 8
Store the prepared Damhyang sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For ultimate convenience, consider portioning it into ice cube trays and freezing it. This way, you can easily access the exact amount you need whenever you’re cooking.
