Korean Bollak Ganjang Gui (Soy-Glazed Rockfish Grill)
Quick answer
Bolak-ganjang-gui is a Korean soy-glazed rockfish dish where fillets are brushed with a sauce of soy sauce, cooking wine, minced garlic, ginger juice, and honey, then gri...
What makes this special
- Lean rockfish fillets are brushed with a savory soy glaze for this Korean Soy-Glazed Rockfish Grill.
- Low-fat rockfish must finish within 8-9 minutes total or it turns dry
- Skin-down sear followed by honey-soy glaze creates a lacquered brown crust
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Press a paper towel firmly over both sides of the 400g rockfish fillets to a...
- 2 Combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tsp minced garlic, half a t...
- 3 Brush half the glaze evenly over both sides of the fish using a pastry brush...
Bolak-ganjang-gui is a Korean soy-glazed rockfish dish where fillets are brushed with a sauce of soy sauce, cooking wine, minced garlic, ginger juice, and honey, then grilled over medium-high heat. Half the glaze is applied first and left for just ten minutes, long enough for the salt and sweetness to penetrate the surface without pulling out moisture from the lean fish. Starting skin-side down for four minutes builds a crisp base, and brushing on the remaining glaze during the final minutes of cooking lets the honey caramelize into a glossy, dark-brown coating. A finish of sesame oil and sliced green onion adds a nutty, sharp layer on top of the savory-sweet glaze. Rockfish has very little fat, so the total cooking time should stay within eight to nine minutes to prevent the flesh from drying out.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Press a paper towel firmly over both sides of the 400g rockfish fillets to absorb moisture, then use tweezers or fingers to pull out any remaining pin bones.
- 2Season
Combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tsp minced garlic, half a teaspoon of ginger juice, and 1 tsp honey in a small bowl and stir until fully blended into a glaze.
- 3Step
Brush half the glaze evenly over both sides of the fish using a pastry brush, reserving the other half for basting later, and let the fish rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- 4Control
Preheat a pan or grill over medium-high heat, place the fish skin-side down, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes so the skin crisps up and releases cleanly from the surface.
- 5Finish
Flip the fish, brush on the reserved glaze, and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes until the honey caramelizes into a glossy coating and the flesh is cooked through to the center.
- 6Prep
Turn off the heat, drizzle 1 tsp of sesame oil evenly over the fish, then scatter sliced green onion on top so the nutty and onion aromas infuse before plating immediately.
After the steps
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