Godeungeo-jorim (Braised Mackerel)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow braising pot or 12-inch skillet with lid
• •Small mixing bowl
• •Large spoon for basting
• •Fish tweezers, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the fish

   Rub the mackerel pieces lightly with the coarse salt, especially inside the belly, then rinse under cold water and pat very dry. This is not to season the fish deeply. It tightens the surface and washes away the blood that makes blue-backed fish taste muddy.

   If the mackerel smells sharply fishy before cooking, don't force this dish. My teacher would have sent it back without a word. Buy fresh mackerel with clear eyes, shiny skin, and firm flesh.
2. 2

   Mix the sauce

   In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, doenjang, mirim, sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the broth. The doenjang is small but important; it rounds the mackerel's oil without making the pot taste like soybean paste stew. Measure it. Too much and the fish disappears.

3. 3

   Start the radish

   Lay the radish across the bottom of a wide shallow pot and pour in the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 10 minutes. Radish goes under the fish because it needs time, and because it keeps the mackerel from scorching before the sauce reduces.

4. 4

   Layer the braise

   Set the mackerel pieces over the radish in one layer, skin side up when possible. Add the kimchi now if you are using it, tucking it beside the fish rather than burying the pieces. Spoon the sauce over everything and scatter the onion on top. Do not stir hard after this point; mackerel is rich but fragile.

5. 5

   Braise without poking

   Bring the pot back to a lively simmer over medium-high heat. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, spooning sauce over the fish every few minutes. Then lower to medium, cover halfway, and simmer 15 minutes more. The uncovered start drives off the sharp edge of the fish, and the half-covered simmer cooks the radish through without breaking the mackerel.

6. 6

   Reduce the sauce

   Uncover the pot and simmer 7 to 10 minutes, basting often, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to cling to the fish and radish. This is the step people stop too early. Watery godeungeo-jorim tastes like boiled fish in red broth. Reduced properly, the sauce enters the flesh and the radish turns sweet and red at the edges.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Add the scallions and sliced chilies for the last 2 minutes, just long enough to soften them. Taste the sauce from the edge of the pot. If your kimchi was very sour, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar; if your mackerel was large and mild, add 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Serve from the pot with hot rice, spooning plenty of sauce over each piece.

Chef Tips

• •Choose fresh whole mackerel when you can and ask the fishmonger to clean and cut it. Fillets work, but they cook faster and break more easily, so reduce the simmer by 5 minutes and baste gently.
• •Radish version and kimchi version are both proper home cooking. Use radish when it is sweet and firm, especially in autumn and winter. Use sour kimchi when the jar has gone sharp enough that you hesitate to eat it plain.
• •Do not keep adding gochujang for color. Gochugaru gives cleaner heat and a brighter red sauce; too much gochujang turns the braise sweet and heavy.
• •A wide shallow pot is better than a deep saucepan. The fish needs to sit in one layer, and the sauce needs surface area so it can reduce and cling.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a covered small pot with 2 tablespoons water, spooning sauce over the fish. A hard boil will break the pieces apart.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Stir it well before using because the gochugaru settles.
• •The radish can be peeled and sliced a day ahead, then stored covered in cold water in the refrigerator. Drain it before cooking.
• •Do not salt and rinse the mackerel far ahead. Clean it just before cooking so the flesh stays firm and fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)