Gulbi-jangajji (Gochujang-Cured Dried Croaker)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Steamer basket or steaming rack
• •Fish tweezers or clean needle-nose kitchen tweezers
• •Dry skillet
• •Small saucepan
• •Clean 2-cup glass jar or small onggi

Instructions

1. 1

   Check the gulbi

   Wipe each dried croaker with a barely damp cloth to remove surface salt and dust, then pat it dry. Taste one tiny flake from near the belly. If the salt bites sharply, rinse the fish under cold water for 5 seconds only, pat dry well, and let it sit uncovered for 20 minutes. Do not soak it like fresh fish. You need dried gulbi for jangajji, not watered fish.

   Do not use fresh yellow croaker here. This dish depends on salted, dried fish with firm flesh and low moisture.
2. 2

   Steam to loosen

   Set the gulbi in a steamer over boiling water and steam 7 to 8 minutes, just until the flesh loosens from the bone. This is not to make it soft like dinner fish. It is to let your hands pull the flesh cleanly, without grinding bones into the meat.

3. 3

   Pull the flesh

   When the fish is cool enough to handle but still warm, remove the head, fins, skin, backbone, rib bones, and pin bones. Pull the flesh along its grain into strips about 3 to 4 cm long. Work slowly. The paste will not forgive hidden bones later.

   Run your fingertips through the shredded fish twice. Chopsticks at the table should find flesh, not needles.
4. 4

   Dry the shreds

   Spread the shredded croaker in a dry skillet over low heat and toss gently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the surface feels dry and the fish smells clean and nutty. Do not brown it. This removes the moisture from steaming, so the gochujang paste clings tightly and keeps better.

5. 5

   Cook the paste

   In a small saucepan, stir together the gochujang, rice syrup, soy sauce, cheongju, gochugaru if using, garlic, and ginger. Warm over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until glossy and thick. Let it cool completely. Hot paste toughens the fish and makes the cure uneven.

6. 6

   Coat the fish

   Put the cooled shredded gulbi in a bowl and fold in about two-thirds of the cooled paste. Use a gloved hand or spoon and turn gently until every strip is coated. Add more paste only until the fish is covered, not swimming. The fish should still read as gulbi.

7. 7

   Pack and cure

   Spoon a thin layer of paste into a clean 2-cup glass jar or small onggi, pack in the coated fish, and spread the remaining paste over the top to cover the surface. Press out air pockets, close the lid, and refrigerate at least 48 hours. Three to five days is better, because the salt, chili paste, and dried fish settle into one taste.

8. 8

   Season to serve

   Take out only what you will eat, using a clean dry spoon. Toss that small portion with toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a little scallion if you like. Sesame oil belongs at serving, not in the storage jar, where it goes tired and shortens the life of the jangajji. Serve in small bites with hot rice.

Chef Tips

• •Buy Yeonggwang gulbi if you can, especially Beopseongpo gulbi from South Jeolla, but don't let the name do all the work. The fish should be dry, firm, and clean-smelling, never sticky or damp.
• •Salt varies widely from one bundle of gulbi to the next. Taste a cooked flake before mixing the paste. If it is already very salty, reduce the soy sauce to 1 teaspoon and keep the rice syrup at 2 tablespoons, enough to round the paste without making candy of the fish.
• •A glass jar is a perfectly honest modern vessel. 시대가 바뀌면 음식도 바뀌어야 해요. When times change, food must change too. The corner you may not cut is the boning.
• •Keep the storage jar cold and clean. This is a refrigerated preserve, not a shelf-stable canned food. Discard it if you see mold, smell sour rot, or find the paste bubbling in a way it did not before.

Advance Preparation

• •Gulbi-jangajji needs at least 48 hours in the refrigerator before serving. It is best from day 3 through day 10, when the paste has seasoned the fish but the shreds still hold their character.
• •The fish can be steamed, boned, shredded, and dried 1 day ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator, then bring it back to cool room temperature before mixing with the paste.
• •The finished jangajji keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks when handled with a clean dry spoon. For longer storage, leave out the fresh scallion and always add sesame oil only to the portion you are serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 45g)