Spicy and Refreshing Pollack Stew (Dongtae-tang): The Ultimate Recipe
How to Make Delicious Pollack Stew at Home, Perfected from Preparation
On a chilly day, a bowl of warm pollack stew feels like it heats you up from the inside out. This flavorful soup is incredibly comforting. We’ll guide you through preparing the pollack and simmering a delicious broth, ensuring a fantastic meal.
Main Ingredients- 1 fresh pollack
- 2 stalks of green onion
- 1 piece of radish (about 1/4 of a medium radish)
- 150g soybean sprouts
Spicy Seasoning Paste- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp mirin (or cooking sake)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- A pinch of black pepper
Broth Ingredients- 10 dried anchovies for broth
- 4 dried anchovy-like fish (Dippori or dried pilchard)
- 1 sheet of dried kelp (dashima, approx. 10×10 cm)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp mirin (or cooking sake)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- A pinch of black pepper
Broth Ingredients- 10 dried anchovies for broth
- 4 dried anchovy-like fish (Dippori or dried pilchard)
- 1 sheet of dried kelp (dashima, approx. 10×10 cm)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make the broth that will give your pollack stew its deep and refreshing flavor. Pour 1.5 liters (about 8 cups) of water into a pot. Add the broth ingredients: 10 dried anchovies, 4 dippori, and 1 sheet of kelp. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes to extract a rich broth. Remember to remove the kelp as soon as the water starts boiling to prevent any bitterness.
Step 2
While the broth is simmering, we’ll prepare the pollack. It’s important to remember that almost the entire pollack is edible, except for the gall bladder and fins. Choosing fresh pollack is key, and if using frozen, thaw it slowly in cold water.
Step 3
Look inside the pollack pieces; you’ll find various internal organs like roe (al), liver (ae), and intestines (nae장). It’s crucial to remove all of these to ensure a clear and non-fishy tasting broth. Carefully pull them out by hand and discard.
Step 4
The fins of the pollack can be easily removed with scissors. Trim off all fins from the top and belly, then discard them. This step ensures a cleaner eating experience.
Step 5
After removing the roe, liver, and intestines from inside the pollack pieces, you’ll notice a thin black membrane, similar to the one shown in the picture. It’s very important to remove this black membrane cleanly! You can easily scrub it off with your fingers. If you don’t remove it before cooking, the broth can become cloudy and have an unpleasant fishy taste, so pay close attention to this step.
Step 6
See how cleanly the black membrane has been removed? Repeat this thorough cleaning process for all the pollack pieces. This step significantly contributes to a cleaner and more delicious pollack stew.
Step 7
This is the ‘ae’ (liver) part removed from the pollack. This part, when fresh, adds a unique flavor to the stew. Except for the greenish part, you can add the rest to the soup. Carefully check inside the elongated parts for any debris, gently rub them clean with your fingers, and rinse thoroughly to finish the preparation of this organ.
Step 8
Here are the pollack roe and liver removed from the fish. If you prepared two pollack, you’ll have a good amount. I’m only using half of these for this recipe. Feel free to adjust the quantity to your preference.
Step 9
We’ll use one whole pollack after it has been thoroughly cleaned. The fresh pollack meat is the star of this delicious stew!
Step 10
Now, let’s prepare the seasoning paste that gives the pollack stew its signature spicy kick. In a bowl, combine 2 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 Tbsp gochujang, 1 Tbsp doenjang, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp mirin, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix these ingredients well with a spoon to create a flavorful seasoning paste.
Step 11
Once your 30-minute broth is ready, strain out the anchovies, dippori, and kelp, leaving only the clear broth in the pot. Add the thinly sliced radish (1 piece) and cook over medium heat until the radish becomes translucent and releases its refreshing flavor into the broth. The radish will naturally sweeten the soup.
Step 12
After the radish has cooked and infused its flavor, it’s time to dissolve the spicy seasoning paste you made in step 9 into the broth. Stir well to ensure the paste dissolves completely without clumps, turning the broth a beautiful, appetizing color.
Step 13
Gently add the cleaned pollack (1 fish portion) from step 8 into the broth with the dissolved seasoning.
Step 14
Now, add the prepared roe, liver, and other cleaned internal parts (from step 7, about 1 fish portion) to the stew from step 12 and bring it to a rolling boil. Pollack is a white fish and can easily fall apart if overcooked, so be careful not to boil it for too long. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
Step 15
After simmering for about 15 minutes, or once the pollack is nearly cooked, add the 2 stalks of green onion, cut into large 5cm (2-inch) pieces. The onion will add a subtle sweetness and aroma to the broth.
Step 16
As the stew boils, foam may rise to the surface. Skim off this foam and discard it to achieve a clearer and cleaner-tasting broth. While it might be a bit of work, removing the foam makes a noticeable difference.
Step 17
After skimming off the foam, add the 150g of soybean sprouts. Continue to cook for about 5 more minutes with the lid off. It’s important not to overcook the soybean sprouts, as they can become mushy; keeping them slightly crisp adds a wonderful texture. Once the sprouts are cooked, the refreshing flavor of the broth will be even more pronounced. Your delicious pollack stew is now complete!
Step 18
This pollack stew is perfect served over rice for a hearty meal, or simply enjoyed on its own. On these crisp, transitional season days, warm yourself up with this spicy and refreshing bowl of pollack stew and stay healthy! Enjoy your delicious meal!
