Godeungeo-jjigae (Mackerel Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow pot or 10-inch braising pan with lid
• •Small bowl for seasoning paste
• •Wide spoon for basting

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the fish

   Rinse the mackerel pieces under cold water, rubbing away any dark blood along the backbone. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt and 1 tablespoon rice wine or soju, then let sit 10 minutes. Rinse lightly and pat dry. This is not for perfume; it pulls away the stale fishiness that would muddy the broth.

   If using salted mackerel, soak it in cold water for 15 minutes first and reduce the soy sauce to 1 tablespoon. Salted fish brings its own seasoning.
2. 2

   Mix the seasoning

   In a small bowl, stir together the gochugaru, soy sauce, fish sauce or soup soy sauce, gochujang if using, garlic, ginger, sugar, and doenjang if using. Add 3 tablespoons of the broth to loosen it into a paste. Measure this. Too much gochujang makes the stew sweet and heavy; the clean heat should come mostly from gochugaru.

3. 3

   Start the radish

   Lay the radish in the bottom of a wide shallow pot, then scatter the onion over it. Pour in the 2 cups broth and spoon half the seasoning paste over the vegetables. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a steady simmer and cook 12 minutes, until the radish edges begin to turn translucent. The radish must start first because it takes longer than the fish and becomes the best part of the pot.

4. 4

   Add the mackerel

   Lay the mackerel pieces skin side up over the radish in one layer. Spoon the remaining seasoning paste over the fish. Do not bury the fish and do not stir. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, spooning broth over the top once or twice so the seasoning settles without breaking the flesh.

5. 5

   Reduce and baste

   Uncover the pot and simmer another 8 to 10 minutes, basting the fish with the broth every few minutes. The liquid should reduce to a spicy, glossy broth that comes halfway up the fish, not a dry glaze and not a soup. Taste the radish, not just the broth; when the radish is tender and seasoned through, the stew is ready.

6. 6

   Finish the pot

   Scatter the green chili, red chili if using, and scallions over the top. Simmer 1 more minute, then turn off the heat. Add the sesame oil only if the fish is very lean; oily autumn mackerel does not need help. Rest 5 minutes before serving so the broth settles into the radish.

7. 7

   Serve with rice

   Carry the pot to the table with hot rice. Give each person one piece of fish and several pieces of radish, then spoon broth over the rice. Watch for bones, especially with children or elders at the table. This is a weeknight stew, but it asks you to eat carefully.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh mackerel should have bright eyes, tight shiny skin, red gills, and a clean smell. If it smells strongly before it touches heat, no amount of chili will make it good. My teacher would have sent it back without a word.
• •Use a wide pot, not a tall one. Mackerel breaks when stacked, and the radish needs to sit underneath in one even layer so it cooks and seasons properly.
• •Kimchi belongs if it is ripe and sour, not fresh and sweet. Replace half the radish with 1 cup chopped ripe kimchi and add it with the radish at the beginning. Do not add extra sugar until you taste the broth.
• •Canned mackerel is a safe weeknight corner to cut. Use two 400g cans, drained, skip the salting step, cook the radish fully first, then add the canned fish for the last 6 minutes so it does not fall apart.

Advance Preparation

• •The seasoning paste can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it loosen at room temperature for 10 minutes before spooning it into the pot.
• •The radish can be peeled and cut a day ahead, then kept covered in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain it well before cooking so the broth measure stays honest.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a covered pot with 2 to 3 tablespoons water, because hard boiling will toughen the fish and break it apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 445g)