Korean Seafood with Doenjang Sauce Grill

Name: Korean Seafood with Doenjang Sauce Grill
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: Shrimp 150 g; Squid 150 g; Doenjang 2 tbsp; Gochujang 0.5 tbsp; Minced garlic 1 tbsp; Sesame oil 0.5 tbsp; Sugar 0.5 tsp

Quick answer

Total time: 30 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Shrimp and squid are brushed with a thin layer of doenjang sauce and grilled.

There is only half a tablespoon of gochujang in it, so it tastes more savory than hot. You know it is done by smell: once the sauce turns deep brown and smells toasty, it comes off the heat, and a little longer brings a burnt note.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Pat 150 g shrimp and 150 g squid very dry, then cut the squid into bite-size pieces.

Excess surface moisture makes the doenjang sauce slide off and prevents steady browning.
2

Mix 2 tablespoons doenjang, 0.5 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 0.5 tablespoon sesame oil, and 0.5 teaspoon sugar until smooth. The sugar helps the paste caramelize before it scorches.
3

Coat the seafood with a thin, even layer of sauce.

Spread out any thick clumps with your fingers or a spoon, because heavy patches of paste burn before the seafood cooks through.
4

Heat a grill or pan well over medium heat, then lay the seafood in a single layer.

Avoid high heat at the start, since the doenjang coating can burn before the shrimp and squid firm up.
5

Cook the first side for about 2 minutes, turning when the edges become opaque.

Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the seafood is firm and the paste darkens.
6

Remove the seafood as soon as the sauce turns deep brown and smells nutty.

Serve it hot with rice or as a grilled snack with drinks, before the concentrated doenjang flavor turns bitter.