Korean Seafood Doenjang Stew
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Haemul doenjang jjigae is a Korean soybean paste stew enriched with clams and shrimp.
Read more
The broth is built on a kelp and dried anchovy stock into which doenjang is dissolved, then clams are added and the pot is brought to a boil. As the clams open, they release their clear, briny liquor into the doenjang base, adding a layer of ocean flavor that plain vegetable stews cannot replicate. Shrimp go in next and contribute their own distinct seafood sweetness. Tofu and zucchini round out the stew with soft, yielding textures that absorb the enriched broth fully. Clams should be purged in salted water beforehand to eliminate any grit, and doenjang is best added conservatively at the start and adjusted gradually during cooking to avoid over-salting. The seafood transforms the already satisfying doenjang stew into something noticeably more layered and complex, making it equally at home as a rice accompaniment or as food alongside drinks.
Ingredients
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Purge 150g clams in salted water until no grit remains, then rub and rinse them under running water.
Peel 100g shrimp and remove the dark vein from the back so the stew tastes clean.
- 2Prep
Cut 200g tofu into bite size pieces and slice half a zucchini slightly thick, not paper thin.
This keeps the tofu from crumbling and helps the zucchini soften without disappearing into the broth.
- 3Control
Pour 500ml kelp and anchovy broth into a pot and bring it to a steady boil over medium heat.
When bubbles gather around the edge, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of doenjang gradually.
- 4Control
When the broth boils again, add the tofu and zucchini and simmer over medium low heat for about 3 minutes.
Stir gently from the bottom so the doenjang does not settle and scorch.
- 5Heat
Add the clams and shrimp, then raise the heat briefly to high so the pot returns to a boil.
Stop extended boiling once the clams open and the shrimp turn pink, keeping the seafood tender.
- 6Finish
When the broth tastes deeper, add the minced garlic and simmer for only 30 seconds more.
Taste before serving, loosen with a little more broth if it is salty, and serve the stew hot.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Haemul doenjang jjigae incorporates briny juices from fresh clams and shrimp into a savory soybean paste base for a complex, oceanic fermented stew.
- Finish cue
- Stop extended boiling once the clams open and the shrimp turn pink, keeping the seafood tender.
- Avoid this
- Don't overcook the seafood - add it at the end to keep it tender.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
35min, 6 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 122 recipes
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