Gajami-jorim (Braised Flounder)

Gajami-jorim begins at the fish stall, not at the stove. Look for small whole flounder with clear eyes, firm flesh, and a clean sea smell, because this is not a dish that hides poor fish under chili. Cook the month you're standing in, but in many Korean markets flatfish are at their best when the water is cold and the flesh is tight.

My mother made this on ordinary nights, when one fish and one thick Korean radish could feed the table properly. The radish is not filler. It is the second reason to make the dish. It sits under the fish, gives up sweetness, drinks in the soy and gochugaru, and becomes the piece everyone reaches for after the fish is gone.

The technique is simple and unforgiving: cook the radish first, lay the fish on top, then spoon the sauce over it instead of turning it like meat. Flatfish is thin. If you shake the pan too much, you get broken bones and tired flesh. Measure the sauce, reduce it until glossy, and taste before you add more heat or salt. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, so the next cook does not have to guess.