Gangdoenjang (강된장, Thick Soybean Paste Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot) or 1.5-quart heavy saucepan
• •Fine strainer or slotted spoon
• •Sharp knife and stable cutting board

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut small

   Dice the onion, zucchini, and mushrooms no larger than 1/4 inch. Mince the garlic and crumble the tofu into small, uneven bits. Gangdoenjang is spooned into ssam (leaf wraps), not sipped, so the pieces need to sit with the rice. Big chunks tear the leaf and make every bite uneven.

2. 2

   Build the broth

   Put the water, kelp, and anchovies in a small ttukbaegi (earthenware pot) or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Pull the kelp out as soon as the water reaches a steady simmer, because kelp left too long turns the broth slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then strain. Measure 1 cup broth; if you have less, add water to reach 1 cup.

   Remove the dark guts from the anchovies before they go in. That small pinch is the difference between savory depth and a bitter edge.
3. 3

   Sweat the vegetables

   Wipe the pot clean and set it over medium heat. Add the perilla oil, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cook 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables look glossy and have given off some of their water. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. This step matters because raw vegetable water thins the paste later; drive it off now and the stew thickens cleanly.

4. 4

   Dissolve the paste

   Stir the doenjang, gochujang if using, and gochugaru if using with 3/4 cup of the measured broth in a small bowl until loose, then scrape it into the vegetables. Mixing it first keeps salty paste from hitting the pot in one lump and scorching before the vegetables can season. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth only if the pot is too dry to stir.

5. 5

   Reduce until thick

   Add the crumbled tofu and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every minute and scraping the bottom. The tofu drinks up salt and gives the stew body; adding it before the final reduction makes the paste thick without turning harsh. Stop when no watery ring sits at the edge and a spoon dragged through the pot leaves a clear path for about 2 seconds. Taste one spoonful with rice, not alone. It should be too strong by itself and correct with rice and leaves.

   If it tastes thin after reducing, add 1/2 teaspoon more doenjang and simmer 1 minute. If it tastes too salty, add 2 tablespoons more crumbled tofu or finely diced zucchini and cook 2 minutes.
6. 6

   Serve in wraps

   Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped chili, scallion, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Let the pot stand 3 minutes so the paste settles and thickens one last little bit. Serve with hot rice, ssam leaves, cucumber, and mild green chilies. For one good wrap, use one leaf, 1 tablespoon rice, and about 1 teaspoon gangdoenjang. More is not generosity; it is salt.

Chef Tips

• •Taste your doenjang before it goes near the pot. If it is a strong, traditional paste, start with 2 1/2 tablespoons and add the last 1/2 tablespoon only after reducing; a mild supermarket paste usually needs all 3 tablespoons.
• •Cook the month you're standing in. Summer gives you zucchini, lettuce, perilla, cucumber, and green chilies, which is why this dish belongs so naturally to ssambap. In winter, serve it with steamed cabbage leaves and a few more mushrooms.
• •The safe shortcut is prepared unsalted anchovy broth or a clean anchovy-kelp broth bag. The corner you cannot cut is the knife work. A 1/4-inch dice is what lets the gangdoenjang cling instead of falling out of the wrap.
• •For a no-seafood version, make broth with 1 1/2 cups water, one extra piece of kelp, and 3 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked 20 minutes. Use 1 cup of that broth and dice the soaked mushroom caps into the stew. It changes the flavor, but it stays honest.
• •No ttukbaegi is no failure. Use a small heavy saucepan and keep the heat medium-low once the paste goes in. Thin pots scorch doenjang fast, and scorched doenjang does not forgive you.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Measure 1 cup for this recipe before you start cooking.
• •The vegetables can be diced up to 8 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Crumble the tofu just before cooking so it does not weep into a puddle.
• •Cooked gangdoenjang keeps 3 days refrigerated. Cool it within 2 hours, cover tightly, and reheat over low heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, stirring until thick again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)