Byeongeo-jorim (병어조림, Braised Silver Pomfret)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow braising pan or saute pan with lid, 10 to 12 inches
• •Kitchen scissors for trimming fins
• •Wide spoon for basting
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Make kelp broth

   Put the kelp and water in a wide shallow pan while you prepare the fish, at least 10 minutes if you have the time. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, then lift out the kelp. Measure the broth; you need 1 1/2 cups. Add a little water if it boiled down. Kelp gives the sauce body without making the delicate fish taste fishier, but left too long it turns the liquid slick.

2. 2

   Clean and score

   If the fishmonger has not done it, trim the fins, remove the guts and gills, scrape away any dark blood along the backbone, rinse quickly, and pat very dry. Cut 2 diagonal slashes on each side of each fish, down to the center bone but not through it. Sprinkle with the salt and 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, rest 10 minutes, then pat dry again. The salt firms the surface, and the cuts let the sauce enter before the flesh overcooks.

   Ask for the fish cleaned but kept whole. Fillets are convenient, but they fall apart before the potato is tender and you lose the shape of the dish.
3. 3

   Mix the sauce

   Stir together the soy sauce, gochugaru, optional gochujang, maesil-cheong or sugar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine. Let it sit while the potatoes start cooking. This wets the gochugaru so it blooms into the sauce instead of floating on top in dusty patches.

4. 4

   Start the potatoes

   Arrange the potato slices in one snug layer in the pan and scatter the onion over them. Pour in the 1 1/2 cups kelp broth and spoon over half the sauce. Bring to a steady simmer, cover, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the potato edges look slightly translucent but the centers still resist a skewer. Potato is stubborn. Give it this head start or the pomfret will be finished before the potato knows dinner has begun.

5. 5

   Add the fish

   Lay the pomfret over the potatoes, fitting them head to tail if the pan is tight. Spoon the remaining sauce over the slashes. Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, spooning the sauce over the fish, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover slightly ajar, and braise 8 to 10 minutes. Do not flip the fish. A whole pomfret tears when treated like meat; basting from above cooks it cleanly and keeps it whole.

   The liquid should come about one-third of the way up the fish, not cover it. If the pan is too dry, add water 2 tablespoons at a time.
6. 6

   Reduce and finish

   Add the scallions and chilies. Simmer uncovered 4 to 6 minutes more, basting often, until the potato is tender, the sauce has reduced to about 1/2 cup and looks glossy, and the fish flakes at the thickest part. If you use a thermometer, it should read 63 C / 145 F. Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil, and scatter sesame seeds if using. Rest 3 minutes before serving with rice. For children and elders, lift the flesh away from the center bone before passing the plate.

Chef Tips

• •Buy byeongeo when the belly is firm, the eyes are clear, and the skin still looks bright. If the market only has dull, soft fish, don't force this recipe. In that month, choose another jorim fish and come back to pomfret when it is in season.
• •A wide shallow pan matters more than a special pot. The fish needs to lie flat, the sauce needs to reduce, and your spoon needs room to baste. A deep narrow pot breaks the fish and leaves the sauce watery.
• •The safe shortcut is asking the fishmonger to clean and trim the fish. The corner you should not cut is the potato head start. If potato and fish enter together, one of them will be wrong.
• •Use gochugaru as the main heat, not gochujang. A teaspoon of gochujang gives body, but a spoonful too many turns a delicate summer fish into a red sauce dish where the fish disappears.
• •Leftovers keep 1 to 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a covered pan with 2 tablespoons water, spooning the sauce over the fish. A hard boil will dry the flesh.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be mixed up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. Add the sesame oil only at the end of cooking, because its aroma fades when boiled.
• •The potatoes can be peeled and sliced up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them in cold water so they do not discolor, then drain and pat dry before cooking.
• •Buy the fish the day you cook it if you can. Keep it very cold and cook within 24 hours. Salt it only 10 minutes before cooking, or the surface firms too much and the flesh loses its gentleness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 340g)