Dubu-jeotguk-jjigae (Tofu and Salted-Brine Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2.5-quart ttukbaegi or heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small nonstick skillet for jidan
• •Skimmer or shallow ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Strain the brine

   Put the saeujeot in a fine sieve set over a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons warm water or warm broth, mash the shrimp with the back of a spoon, and let the cloudy liquid fall through. You should have about 3 tablespoons jeotguk. Use the liquid for this stew and save the solids for steamed egg or fried rice. Whole shrimp bits would cloud the broth and season unevenly, so strain them out here.

   Saeujeot saltiness changes from jar to jar. Start with the measured brine in this recipe, then write down the final amount that suits your brand. Memory is a borrowed bowl.
2. 2

   Blanch the tofu

   Cut the tofu into neat 1-inch rectangles, about 1/2 inch thick. Pour boiling water over the pieces, let them sit 2 minutes, then drain. This small step removes the raw bean smell and firms the surface, so the tofu stays clean-edged in the pot instead of breaking into crumbs.

3. 3

   Make the broth

   Put the beef, water, kelp, and radish in a 2.5-quart pot. Bring it slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat. Pull the kelp out as soon as small bubbles gather at the edge, usually 7 to 8 minutes, before it turns the broth slick and bitter. Skim the gray foam, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Lift out the beef, slice it thinly across the grain, and return it to the pot. You want about 4 cups clear broth; add a little water if it reduced too far.

   A safe shortcut is 4 cups unsalted beef stock simmered with the kelp and radish for 10 minutes. Do not use salted stock or bouillon here. The jeotguk must control the seasoning.
4. 4

   Make jidan

   While the broth simmers, beat the egg yolk and white separately with a tiny pinch of salt. Wipe a small skillet with neutral oil and cook each one over low heat into a thin sheet. Cut into fine threads. This garnish is not fuss for fuss's sake; a white stew needs small, clear color, and jidan gives it without chili.

5. 5

   Season the broth

   Add the garlic and shiitake mushrooms to the broth and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the strained jeotguk, then taste the broth before adding more. Add the remaining brine 1 teaspoon at a time, up to about 2 1/2 tablespoons total. It should taste seasoned and rounded, not fishy, and the broth should still read pale. Add the measured sea salt only if the broth is still flat after the brine has gone in.

6. 6

   Warm the tofu

   Slide the tofu into the pot in one layer and spoon broth over the top. Simmer gently for 4 minutes without stirring hard. If using oysters, add them now and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just until the edges curl and the centers turn opaque. A hard boil breaks the tofu and tightens the oysters, and then the dish has lost its manners.

7. 7

   Finish cleanly

   Add the scallions and minari, then turn off the heat. Arrange the jidan threads on top and carry the pot to the table with rice and mild banchan. Let the first spoon be broth before kimchi or anything sharp. This jjigae is quiet by design, and the cook's job is to let the white read white.

Chef Tips

• •Buy saeujeot that smells clean and briny, not harsh or stale. The liquid should be gray-pink and salty, not murky brown. In this dish the brine is the seasoning, so a tired jar makes a tired pot.
• •Use medium-firm tofu if you can. Silken tofu breaks too easily here, and extra-firm tofu eats dry. The right tofu holds its shape but still gives under the spoon.
• •Cook the month you're standing in. Oysters belong to the cold months when they are plump and clean. In warm weather, leave them out and add another two shiitake mushrooms; do not force bad seafood into a pale stew.
• •If saeujeot is unavailable, use 2 teaspoons Korean anchovy sauce plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, but name the change honestly. It will be sharper and less rounded than salted shrimp brine. Do not repair it with gochujang.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef broth can be made up to 2 days ahead, chilled, and skimmed. Finish the stew with tofu, jeotguk, and oysters only when you are ready to eat.
• •The strained jeotguk and jidan can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately. Bring the brine back to room temperature before seasoning so it blends evenly.
• •This stew is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 1 day and reheated gently, but oysters will tighten and tofu will soften, so cook only what the table will finish when you can.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)