Myeolchi-dasima Yuksu (Anchovy and Kelp Stock)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3 liter heavy pot
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Tongs or chopsticks for lifting kelp
• •Shallow storage containers or freezer-safe jars

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the anchovies

   Snap the heads off the dried anchovies and pinch out the dark guts from the belly. Leave the bodies whole. This takes five minutes and saves the broth from bitterness, so do not skip it because the stock will be strained later.

   Use large soup anchovies, gukmyeolchi (soup anchovies), not the tiny stir-fry anchovies. The small ones make the broth muddy and sharp.
2. 2

   Dry-toast briefly

   Put the cleaned anchovies in a dry pot over medium-low heat and stir for 2 minutes, just until they smell nutty and dry. This drives off stale fishiness. If your anchovies are very fresh and sweet, you can skip this, but old pantry anchovies need the help.

3. 3

   Start cold

   Add the cold water, kelp, and any optional onion, radish, or dried shiitake to the pot. Let it sit 10 minutes if you have time. Starting cold draws out the kelp's clean glutamate before heat makes it slippery, and that quiet savoriness is why we use dasima at all.

4. 4

   Pull the kelp

   Set the pot over medium heat and watch the edge of the water. When small bubbles gather and the first boil begins, about 8 to 10 minutes, lift out the kelp at once. Do not let it roll at a boil with the anchovies. Kelp that boils hard gives the broth a thick, bitter edge.

   If you want a stronger kelp flavor for noodle broth, soak the kelp in the cold water for 30 minutes before heating. That is a safe corner to cut later in the schedule, not in the boiling.
5. 5

   Simmer the anchovies

   Lower the heat so the liquid moves gently, then simmer the anchovies and vegetables for 10 minutes. Do not cover the pot. A covered pot traps the stronger fish smell; an open pot lets it lift away while the broth turns pale gold and savory.

6. 6

   Strain cleanly

   Turn off the heat and strain through a fine sieve without pressing hard on the solids. Pressing squeezes out bitterness and cloudiness. You should have about 2 liters of clear, light amber stock.

7. 7

   Cool and store

   Use the stock right away, or cool it quickly in shallow containers before refrigerating. Keep it refrigerated up to 4 days, or freeze it up to 2 months in 1-cup or 2-cup portions. That is how a weeknight jjigae becomes possible before everyone at the table gets impatient.

Chef Tips

• •Buy anchovies that smell clean and ocean-sweet, not dusty or oily. Good dried anchovies are silver and firm, with no yellow rancid patches. My teacher would have sent bad ones back without a word.
• •The kelp is not a garnish. Wipe off grit with a barely damp cloth only if needed, but do not wash away the white powder on the surface. That powder is mannitol, part of the sweetness and depth.
• •For doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), use the stock as it is. For a clearer morning guk (soup), strain it through a cloth. For tteokbokki, simmer the strained stock a few minutes longer with the sauce so it clings.
• •Do not salt this stock. Leave it plain, because the dishes it enters will bring soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang, salted shrimp, or kimchi brine. Season the final dish, not the foundation.

Advance Preparation

• •Make a double batch on a quiet evening and freeze it in measured portions: 1 cup for sauces, 2 cups for small soups, 4 cups for a family pot of jjigae.
• •The anchovies can be cleaned ahead and kept in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 months. Frozen dried anchovies stay sweeter and do not turn oily in the pantry.
• •For the cleanest stock, cool it uncovered until the heat drops, then cover and refrigerate. Do not seal a hot jar tight at once, or trapped heat keeps it in the unsafe middle too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)