Kkotge-jjigae (꽃게찌개, Blue Crab Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3 to 4-quart ttukbaegi or heavy pot
• •Kitchen shears
• •Stiff brush for scrubbing shells
• •Small bowl for catching crab juices
• •Shell bowls for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the broth

   Put the water, kelp, and anchovies in a 3 to 4-quart pot over medium heat. The moment the water reaches a steady simmer, pull out the kelp, because kelp left too long turns the broth slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then lift them out. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of broth; add a little water if it has reduced below 4 cups.

2. 2

   Clean the crabs

   Keep the crabs very cold until the minute you clean them. Scrub the shells under cold running water, lift the apron flap, and pull off the top shell over a bowl so the juices are not lost. Remove the gray feathery gills, mouthparts, and the small stomach sac behind the eyes. Keep the roe. Keep the yellow tomalley only if the crabs are very fresh and from a trusted market. Cut each body in half, then into quarters, and crack the claws lightly with the back of a knife or kitchen shears so the broth can get in.

   If cleaning live crabs makes you hesitate, ask the fishmonger to dispatch and clean them, but still ask for the top shells and roe. A stew made only with loose crab meat is missing the broth.
3. 3

   Mix the seasoning

   In a small bowl, loosen the doenjang with 1/2 cup of hot broth. Stir in the gochugaru, soup soy sauce, garlic, ginger, fish sauce if using, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mixing the paste first keeps the doenjang from sitting in salty lumps at the bottom of the pot.

   Doenjang differs from jar to jar. If yours is very dark and salty, use 2 teaspoons now and add the last teaspoon only after tasting the finished broth.
4. 4

   Simmer the radish

   Return the broth to a simmer. Add the radish and onion, then stir in the seasoning paste until the broth turns clear red-brown. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the radish edges begin to turn translucent. Radish goes in before the crab because it needs time to sweeten the broth; crab does not forgive long boiling.

5. 5

   Add the crab

   Nestle the crab body pieces and cracked claws into the broth. Set the top shells roe side up and spoon broth over them. Simmer 5 minutes, skimming only the rough foam, not the orange fat. Add the zucchini and tofu, then simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, until the shells are red and the meat is opaque at the joints.

   Do not chase a thicker stew by boiling the crab longer. You will get tough meat and a tired broth. If you want more body, mash one or two cooked radish slices against the side of the pot.
6. 6

   Finish the pot

   Add the green chili, red chili if using, and scallions. Press them under the broth for 1 minute so they soften but stay bright. Taste the broth now. If it tastes flat rather than clean and crab-sweet, add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. If using minari or crown daisy, lay it on top for the last 30 seconds only.

7. 7

   Serve at once

   Carry the pot straight to the table on a trivet. Give each person rice, a spoon, chopsticks, and a bowl for shells. This is not a tidy stew. Eat the crab with your hands, spoon the broth over rice, and do not apologize for needing a bib.

Chef Tips

• •Spring females give you roe and a deeper broth; autumn males give you sweeter meat. Out of season, buy frozen whole kkotge from a Korean market and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Do not use picked crab meat here, because the shell is one of the ingredients.
• •Fresh crab should smell like clean seawater, never ammonia. The body should feel heavy for its size, and the joints should not be drying out. My teacher would have sent a tired crab back without a word.
• •I do not add gochujang to this pot. Gochugaru brings heat and color without sweetness, while doenjang steadies the broth. Let it taste like crab.
• •Safe shortcuts are fishmonger-cleaned crab and broth made ahead. The corners you cannot cut are cracking the shells, removing the gills and stomach sac, and simmering the crab briefly.
• •Kkotgetang (crab soup) and kkotge-jjigae often share a table, but jjigae is the more seasoned pot. If you want the lighter soup style, reduce the gochugaru to 1 tablespoon and add another cup of broth.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it before adding the seasoning paste so the doenjang dissolves properly.
• •The seasoning paste can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated, but add the garlic fresh if you want the cleanest flavor.
• •Cut the radish, onion, zucchini, scallions, and chilies up to 1 day ahead. Keep them covered and cold.
• •Clean fresh crab only shortly before cooking. Frozen whole crab should thaw overnight in the refrigerator in a colander set over a bowl, then be cooked within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)