Spicy and Refreshing Pollack Stew (Dongtae Jjigae)
The Quintessential Korean Home-Cooked Dish! Authentic Spicy Pollack Stew with Mom’s Secret Touch
Revealing the secret to making a wonderfully spicy and refreshing pollack stew at home, just like your mom used to make. The perfect balance of fiery broth and tender pollack meat makes this a rice-stealing dish!
Main Ingredients- 1 fresh pollack, cleaned
- 1/3 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 1 handful of radish, sliced thinly (like for guk)
- 2 handfuls of bean sprouts, washed clean
- 2 Korean green chilies (cheongyang peppers), diagonally sliced
- 1/2 stalk of green onion, diagonally sliced
Spicy Seasoning Paste (Dadaegi)- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp rice wine or cooking wine
- A pinch of coarse sea salt (for final seasoning)
- 5 cups water (or anchovy-kelp broth)
Optional Broth- 2 Tbsp raw sugar or regular sugar (if you prefer sweetness)
- 5 cups anchovy-kelp broth (for a deeper flavor)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp rice wine or cooking wine
- A pinch of coarse sea salt (for final seasoning)
- 5 cups water (or anchovy-kelp broth)
Optional Broth- 2 Tbsp raw sugar or regular sugar (if you prefer sweetness)
- 5 cups anchovy-kelp broth (for a deeper flavor)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, clean the pollack thoroughly. Then, soak it in rice water (water used to rinse rice) for about 10 minutes. This step is crucial for removing any fishy odor and ensuring the fish meat becomes wonderfully tender.
Step 2
Prepare the vegetables for the stew. Slice the radish thinly (like for soup), cut the zucchini into attractive half-moon shapes, and thinly slice the onion. Diagonalize the green onion and Korean green chilies into bite-sized pieces. Wash the bean sprouts by swishing them in cold water and drain well.
Step 3
Let’s make the spicy seasoning paste, the heart of this delicious pollack stew! In a pot, combine 2 Tbsp gochugaru, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 Tbsp soup soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp rice wine. Briefly sauté this mixture. Once fragrant, pour in 5 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. As soon as the broth is boiling vigorously, add the prepared pollack and all the vegetables (radish, zucchini, onion, bean sprouts) to the pot and let them cook together.
Step 4
Once all ingredients are cooked through and the broth has developed a rich, refreshing flavor, it’s time to season. Adjust the taste using coarse sea salt to your preference. For an even deeper and more complex flavor, you can use anchovy-kelp broth instead of water from the beginning, or add 5 cups of anchovy-kelp broth during the simmering process. (Optional: If you like a hint of sweetness, add 2 Tbsp of raw sugar or regular sugar).
