Galchi-jjigae (Hairtail Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow pot or 11-inch jeongol pan with lid
• •Slotted spoon
• •Small bowl for seasoning paste
• •Fish tweezers, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the fish

   Sprinkle the hairtail pieces with the coarse salt and rub very gently, especially along the belly cut. Rinse under cold water and pull away any dark bloodline or black membrane inside the cavity. Do not scrub off all the silver skin; it is part of galchi. Pat the pieces dry so the seasoning clings and the broth stays clean.

   Fresh galchi should feel firm and slick, not mushy. If the fish collapses under your fingers now, it will dissolve in the stew later.
2. 2

   Make the broth

   Put the water, kelp, and anchovies in a wide shallow pot over medium heat. When the water reaches a simmer, pull out the kelp before it turns the broth slippery and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then remove them. You want a light sea broth that supports the fish without making the pot taste fishy twice.

3. 3

   Mix the seasoning

   In a small bowl, stir together the gochugaru, soup soy sauce, regular soy sauce, mirin or cheongju, garlic, ginger, doenjang if using, sugar, and black pepper. The teaspoon of doenjang is not there to make doenjang-jjigae; it gives a little body and rounds the edge of the fish. More than that will take over.

4. 4

   Start the radish

   Lay the radish pieces across the bottom of the broth in one layer and spoon half the seasoning over them. Cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the radish edges begin to turn translucent but the centers still hold. Radish goes first because it needs time, and because it makes a bed so the fish does not stick and break.

5. 5

   Add the galchi

   Lay the hairtail pieces over the radish in a single layer. Spoon the remaining seasoning over the fish, then ladle hot broth from the side of the pot over the tops. Do not stir. Bring it back to a lively simmer, cover, and cook 8 minutes. The broth should bubble around the edges, not pound the fish apart.

6. 6

   Add vegetables

   Add the onion and squash around the fish, tucking them into the broth without pushing the galchi around. Simmer uncovered 7 to 8 minutes, spooning broth over the fish two or three times. The squash should soften but not collapse, and the fish should turn opaque and lift from the bone in clean flakes.

7. 7

   Finish and taste

   Add the green chili, red chili if using, and scallions. Simmer 2 minutes, then taste the broth before adding salt. If it tastes flat, add up to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in two additions. If it tastes too sharp, let it simmer one more minute. Carry the pot to the table and serve with rice, warning everyone about the long bones. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, so the next pot can find the same place.

Chef Tips

• •Buy galchi the day you cook it. The skin should look cleanly silver, not yellowed or rubbed dull, and the flesh at the cut should be tight. Frozen hairtail can work for weeknight cooking, but thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and dry it well.
• •Do not stir after the fish goes in. Use a spoon to baste the broth over the top. This is the whole discipline of the dish, and it is the difference between a stew with pieces of fish and a pot of broken flakes.
• •Gochugaru gives cleaner heat than gochujang here. If you insist on gochujang, use no more than 1 teaspoon and reduce the sugar to a pinch, because sweetness and paste thickness can make the broth heavy.
• •Korean radish is best, especially in cold months when it is sweet and dense. If you only have daikon, choose a firm heavy one and cut it slightly thicker so it does not fall apart.
• •Serve this with plain rice and quiet banchan, such as kongnamul-muchim (seasoned soybean sprouts) or oi-muchim (seasoned cucumber). The stew already carries the fish, chili, and broth; the rest of the table should not shout.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. That is the safe weeknight shortcut; it does not change the dish.
• •The seasoning paste can be mixed up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir it before using, because the gochugaru will thicken as it hydrates.
• •Do not cook the full stew ahead if you can avoid it. Galchi is best the moment it is done. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 1 day and reheated gently without stirring, but the fish will be softer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)