Dongtae-jjigae (Frozen Pollock Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 4 to 5 quart heavy pot or wide ttukbaegi
• •Spider or slotted spoon
• •Fine mesh strainer
• •Small bowl for mixing the seasoning paste

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the fish

   Thaw the frozen pollock overnight in the refrigerator, set on a tray to catch any liquid. Never thaw it on the counter. Rinse each piece quickly under cold running water, then look inside the belly. Pull away any loose black membrane and scrape out dark blood near the spine with a small spoon or the back of a knife. Keep the skin on; it gives the stew body. Keep the roe sacks whole if you can, but do not worry if one tears. Torn roe clouds the broth a little and still eats well.

   This is the step people rush. Frozen pollock is honest food, but it carries blood and thawing liquid. Clean that away before the pot ever sees it.
2. 2

   Blanch briefly

   Bring 6 cups water, 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, and the soju or rice wine, if using, to a hard boil. Lower in the pollock pieces for 45 seconds, just until the outside tightens and gray foam rises. Lift them out with a spider or slotted spoon, rinse quickly under cool running water to remove clinging scum, and drain. Dip the roe and milt, if using, for 10 seconds only, then lift them out carefully. This is not cooking the fish through. It is washing it with boiling water so the stew tastes clean, like sea, not mud.

3. 3

   Build radish broth

   Put 6 cups fresh water, the kelp, anchovies, and radish in a wide heavy pot. Bring it slowly to a simmer over medium heat. Pull the kelp out as soon as the water begins to simmer, because kelp left too long turns the broth slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies and radish for 10 minutes more, then remove the anchovies and leave the radish in the pot. The radish should look slightly translucent at the edges. It is doing real work here, sweetening the broth and giving the fish a clean place to land.

4. 4

   Mix seasoning paste

   In a small bowl, stir together the gochugaru, gochujang, guk-ganjang, anchovy fish sauce, doenjang, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and 1/2 cup hot broth from the pot. Use the gochujang for body, not domination. One tablespoon is enough. The gochugaru should carry the color, and the fish should still taste like fish.

   The teaspoon of doenjang is there to round the fish and steady the broth. Add much more and you have pulled the stew toward doenjang-jjigae, which is a different pot.
5. 5

   Simmer the pollock

   Stir the seasoning paste into the radish broth. Add the onion and soybean sprouts, then lay the blanched pollock pieces on top in one layer. Cover the pot halfway and simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes. Do not stir hard. Pollock flakes if you bully it. Nudge the pieces gently and spoon broth over the top so the seasoning reaches everything.

6. 6

   Add roe and tofu

   Slide in the tofu slabs, roe, and milt, if using. Simmer gently for 5 to 6 minutes, until the fish flakes at the thickest part and the roe is opaque and firm through the center. If you check with a thermometer, the fish should reach 145 F / 63 C. Skim any foam that gathers at the edge, but do not chase every speck. A home stew is not a clear consommé, and it should not pretend to be one.

   Roe goes in late because it toughens and bursts when boiled hard. Give it enough time to cook through, then leave it alone.
7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Add the scallions, green chili, red chili, and crown daisy or water dropwort. Simmer 1 minute, just until the greens relax. Taste the broth now. If it is flat, add up to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. If it is too salty, add a splash of hot water and let it settle for 1 minute. Carry the pot to the table with rice and a few banchan. Write it down. Memory is a borrowed bowl.

Chef Tips

• •Buy pollock that looks pale and clean, with no thick yellow freezer burn and no sour or ammonia smell. Frozen is not a shame here. Dongtae is the dish's name, not an apology.
• •Use raw or frozen pollock roe sacks for this stew. Do not replace them with spicy seasoned myeongnan-jeot unless you want a much saltier pot. If raw roe is not available, leave it out and let the fish and radish carry the bowl.
• •Gochugaru gives the stew its clean red color. Gochujang gives body, but too much makes the broth sweet and muddy. Keep it to 1 tablespoon and taste before you reach for more.
• •Safe shortcuts are simple: a good unsalted anchovy broth packet can replace loose anchovies, and pre-cut frozen pollock is fine. Do not skip trimming the belly and blanching the fish. That is not a decorative step.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently and only until hot, because pollock dries out and roe hardens when boiled again.

Advance Preparation

• •Thaw the pollock overnight in the refrigerator on a tray, then cook it within 24 hours. Keep the roe covered and cold until it goes into the pot.
• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Add the radish when you cook the stew so it keeps its shape and sweetness.
• •The seasoning paste can be mixed 1 day ahead, without the hot broth, and refrigerated. Loosen it with broth just before adding it to the pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 750g)