Korean Spicy Pollock Stew
Quick answer
Dongtae-tang is a Korean spicy fish stew made with frozen pollock (dongtae), radish, tofu, and green onion in a broth seasoned heavily with gochugaru.
What makes this special
- Dongtae-tang builds a spicy fish stew from frozen pollock and radish simmered in a gochugaru-heavy broth.
- Radish simmered 10 minutes builds a sweet base before the broth turns spicy
- Pollock cooked under 10 minutes stops bone bitterness from leaching into the broth
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Thaw 900 g frozen pollock completely, then scrape away scales and trim the fins.
- 2 Slice 250 g Korean radish about 0.5 cm thick, then slice the tofu, green onions, and cheongyang chilies.
- 3 Put 1800 ml water and the radish in a pot and bring to a strong boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
Dongtae-tang is a Korean spicy fish stew made with frozen pollock (dongtae), radish, tofu, and green onion in a broth seasoned heavily with gochugaru. The first step is simmering radish on its own long enough to release its clean, slightly sweet character into the base -- this foundation determines the clarity and depth of the finished broth. Once the radish has cooked through, gochugaru, soup soy sauce, and minced garlic are added to transform the pale stock into a vivid red, peppery liquid. The pollock is cleaned of scales and fins after thawing, then cut into large pieces so the flesh stays intact through the cooking process. After the fish is added, the stew should not be cooked for more than ten minutes: beyond that point, compounds from the bones leach into the broth, producing a bitter, fishy aftertaste that is difficult to correct. Cheongyang chili peppers add a sharper, more piercing heat than gochugaru alone -- a thin-sliced variety provides brief, concentrated bursts of spice. Tofu goes in during the last five minutes, giving it enough time to absorb the spiced broth without breaking apart. The seasoning the tofu draws in softens and rounds out the intensity of the soup, providing a mild counterpoint to the fish and the heat. The stew carries a bracing, satisfying quality and is especially popular during winter months.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Thaw 900 g frozen pollock completely, then scrape away scales and trim the fins.
Cut it into large chunks and rinse under running water, handling the pieces gently so the flesh does not loosen before cooking.
- 2Prep
Slice 250 g Korean radish about 0.5 cm thick, then slice the tofu, green onions, and cheongyang chilies.
Keep the tofu separate for the end so it can warm through without breaking apart in the pot.
- 3Control
Put 1800 ml water and the radish in a pot and bring to a strong boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
When the radish looks translucent, its clean sweetness has formed the base of the broth.
- 4Season
Stir 2 tbsp gochugaru, 2 tbsp soup soy sauce, and 1 tbsp minced garlic into the boiling broth.
Mix until no clumps of chili remain and the clear stock turns into a vivid red seasoned broth.
- 5Control
Add the prepared pollock and simmer over medium-high heat for only 10 minutes, skimming off foam as it rises.
Longer cooking can break the flesh and draw bitter, fishy flavors from the bones into the broth.
- 6Finish
Add 250 g tofu, 2 green onions, and 2 cheongyang chilies, then boil for 5 final minutes.
Serve as soon as the tofu has absorbed some red broth and the chili aroma spreads through the pot.
After the steps
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