Korean Spicy Braised Semi-Dried Pollock
Quick answer
Kodari-jjim is a Korean braised dish of semi-dried pollock slow-cooked with radish and onion in a gochugaru and soy sauce seasoning.
What makes this special
- Kodari-jjim features dense, semi-dried pollock braised with radish in a spicy gochugaru sauce.
- Semi-dried pollock's dense flesh absorbs seasoning deeply while holding shape
- Radish on the bottom prevents sticking and adds sweetness to the spicy broth
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Trim the fins from 900 g semi-dried pollock, then rinse it briefly under running water.
- 2 Slice 220 g Korean radish into thick pieces and spread them over the bottom of the pot.
- 3 Whisk 2.5 tablespoons gochugaru, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy s...
Kodari-jjim is a Korean braised dish of semi-dried pollock slow-cooked with radish and onion in a gochugaru and soy sauce seasoning. The drying stage removes moisture from the pollock, firming the flesh so it absorbs the seasoning deeply while holding its shape throughout cooking. Radish tempers the chili heat and contributes a natural sweetness, and a small addition of doenjang adds a savory depth that rounds out the sauce. As the liquid reduces to a thick, clinging glaze, the pollock takes on an intensely spiced quality that makes it a natural companion to steamed rice. Mixing the reduced sauce into hot rice is a well-known Korean habit, since every drop carries concentrated spice and brine.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Trim the fins from 900 g semi-dried pollock, then rinse it briefly under running water.
For a softer texture, soak it for only 10 minutes, drain well, and avoid leaving excess water on the fish.
- 2Prep
Slice 220 g Korean radish into thick pieces and spread them over the bottom of the pot.
Place the pollock and 120 g onion on top without crowding them so the radish protects the fish from sticking.
- 3Season
Whisk 2.5 tablespoons gochugaru, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 450 ml water into a smooth seasoning liquid. Break up any gochujang lumps before pouring it over the fish.
- 4Control
Pour the seasoning around the side of the pot, then bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once it bubbles, skim foam if needed, lower to medium heat, cover, and braise for 15 minutes.
- 5Season
During braising, spoon the sauce over the pollock two or three times so the seasoning penetrates evenly.
Because the flesh is firm but can tear at the edges, avoid frequent turning and check that the radish is tender.
- 6Finish
Add 1 tablespoon oligosaccharide syrup and 40 g green onion, then simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes.
Turn off the heat when the sauce turns glossy, thickens, and clings to the fish, then serve with rice.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
Recipes That Go Well With This
More Steamed →Based on shared ingredients and meal pairing
Korean Semi-Dried Pollock Radish Stew
Kodari mu jjigae stews 700g of semi-dried pollock with Korean radish in rice-rinse water, a traditional technique that adds a subtle starchy richness to the broth. The pollock's firm, chewy flesh holds up well during simmering and absorbs the gochujang and gochugaru seasoning deeply. Radish balances the heat with its natural sweetness as it softens in the spicy liquid. Cheongyang chilies add a final kick, making this a warming stew that pairs exceptionally with a bowl of hot rice. The semi-drying process gives kodari a distinctly denser, chewier bite that separates it noticeably from fresh pollock.
Korean Braised Semi-Dried Pollock
Kodari-jorim braises semi-dried pollock with radish in a gochujang-soy glaze, occupying a middle ground between fresh fish stew and fully dried fish preparations. Kodari is whole pollock gutted and hung in pairs along the East Sea coast, air-dried for two to three weeks and halted before full dehydration so the flesh retains enough moisture to stay supple after cooking, unlike the spongy texture of fully dried hwangtae. Layering radish on the bottom of the pot serves a structural purpose: it prevents the fish from sitting directly on the heat source and scorching. A sauce of soy, gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and garlic is poured over and brought to a boil, then reduced to medium heat for about thirty minutes, spooning the liquid over the fish periodically. Overnight refrigeration lets the seasoning penetrate evenly and deepens the flavor. The leftover sauce is potent enough to repurpose as a bibimbap dressing.
Korean Mushroom Japchae (Shiitake Glass Noodle Stir-Fry)
Beoseot japchae replaces beef with shiitake mushrooms as the primary source of savory depth, making it a staple of Buddhist temple cuisine and vegetarian tables alike. Sweet potato noodles are soaked and boiled, then rinsed in cold water immediately to lock in a firm, springy texture. Shiitake, spinach, carrot, and onion are each cooked separately - their moisture levels and heat tolerances differ enough that combining them prematurely flattens every component. Soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and sesame oil bring the noodles and vegetables together, and the finished dish rests for ten minutes so the seasoning penetrates the noodles evenly. The result is a japchae where the mushroom carries genuine umami weight without any meat.
Korean Braised Pollock (Frozen Pollock with Radish in Spicy Sauce)
Dongtae-jjim is frozen pollock braised with Korean radish and bean sprouts in a sauce built from gochugaru, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Using frozen rather than fresh pollock is intentional - the freeze-and-thaw cycle gives the flesh a firm, lightly spongy texture that holds together well through braising in the spicy broth. Radish absorbs the chili-laced liquid and turns sweet against the heat, while bean sprouts retain crunch and add a clean, refreshing aftertaste. The sauce reduces to a shallow pool at the bottom of the pot, and spooning it over steamed rice is the standard way to eat this cold-weather staple. The flavor deepens the longer the ingredients sit in the braising liquid.
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Korean Sashimi Rice Bowl (Flounder Sashimi with Cho-Gochujang)
Sliced flounder sashimi sits atop julienned cucumber, lettuce, and perilla leaves over slightly cooled rice, dressed with cho-gochujang just before eating. The rice must not be piping hot because residual heat softens the sashimi and dulls its clean texture, so resting it until just warm is essential. The vinegar tang and chili warmth in cho-gochujang lift the mild fish flavor, while sesame oil and seeds leave a nutty finish on the palate. Keeping the vegetables well chilled before assembly creates a temperature contrast against the warm rice that sharpens every bite. Adding the cho-gochujang right before eating rather than in advance prevents the vegetables from weeping moisture and going limp.
Korean Spicy Blue Crab Soup
Ggotge-tang is a spicy Korean crab soup built around whole blue crabs that infuse the broth with a concentrated, briny seafood depth. The shells release their marine richness as they crack apart during simmering, forming the structural foundation of the pot. Doenjang dissolved into the broth adds fermented complexity, while gochugaru delivers a persistent heat that compounds with each spoonful. Radish chunks sweeten and clarify the liquid, and zucchini with green onion fill the bowl with color and contrasting texture. Before cooking, the crabs should be scrubbed clean under cold water and cleaned of their sand pouches and gills, which eliminates any off-flavors. Scoring the claws lightly with the back of a knife before the pot goes on the heat makes extracting the claw meat easier at the table. Female crabs in season carry bright orange roe inside the top shell that dissolves into the broth and intensifies its richness. The real reward at the end of the meal is mixing leftover rice directly into the crab's top shell with the residual roe and braising juices, a practice Korean diners regard as the true finish of the meal. Blue crab season peaks in spring and autumn.
Korean Cheongyang Gochu Doenjang Jangajji (Doenjang Pickled Cheongyang Peppers)
Cheongyang chili peppers are pricked all over with a fork so the brine can reach the interior of each pod rather than sitting on the surface. Kelp is simmered with soy sauce to establish a concentrated umami base, then the heat is cut and doenjang is dissolved into the hot liquid, which layers the nutty, fermented depth of fermented soybean paste over the saltiness of the soy. Rice syrup softens the sharp, raw heat of the chilies so it does not dominate the other flavors, and vinegar sharpens and clarifies the overall profile. The chilies are pressed fully under the brine and left in the refrigerator to mature. After one day the seasoning begins to penetrate toward the core, and by day three the doenjang flavor has fully saturated each pepper. At that point, a single pepper placed on a mouthful of hot rice delivers a compact burst of salty, funky depth and the lingering heat that makes this pickle a classic Korean table condiment.
Similar recipes
Korean Spicy Fish Roe Braise
Al-jjim is a Korean braised dish built around pollock roe sacs and milt - the parts of the fish that most home cooks discard or that are sold separately at markets near fishing ports. The two components come from the same fish but behave completely differently when cooked. The roe sacs firm up into a dense, granular texture as they heat, each individual egg becoming distinct and slightly resistant to the bite. The milt, by contrast, softens to a custard-like consistency, breaking apart in soft curds that dissolve into the braising sauce. Radish slices line the pot bottom, providing a sweet buffer against the aggressive saltiness of the gochugaru-soy braising liquid and preventing the more delicate milt from burning. The dish cooks at low heat for about fifteen minutes, during which the roe and milt release their marine oils into the sauce, adding an oceanic richness to the spicy, salty base. Green onions or scallions added at the end contribute a fresh, sharp counterpoint that keeps the heavy sauce from becoming monotonous. Al-jjim is a winter specialty in Korea's east coast fishing ports - Pohang, Gangneung, Sokcho - where fresh pollock roe is available during the winter spawning season. Frozen roe can be substituted year-round, but it releases fewer marine oils into the sauce, producing a noticeably less rich broth than the fresh version.
Korean Grilled Semi-dried Pollock
Kodari-gui is a Korean grilled semi-dried pollock dish where the fish is pan-fried while being brushed repeatedly with a glaze made from soy sauce, gochujang, oligosaccharide syrup, minced garlic, and sesame oil. Semi-drying the pollock removes a substantial portion of its moisture, concentrating the protein into a dense, chewy texture that absorbs seasoning far more readily than fresh fish. It also strips away the fishy undertone that fresh pollock carries, making the end result noticeably cleaner on the palate. As the fish cooks, the sugars in the glaze undergo caramelization layer by layer, building a glossy, dark coating that catches the heat and deepens in flavor with every pass. Applying the sauce in a thick coat from the start leads to burning before the inside is properly cooked through, so the technique calls for flipping once a side is set and applying the glaze in multiple thin brushings. Soaking the dried fish in cold water for about ten minutes before cooking softens the flesh while still allowing the surface to grip the seasoning. Sesame seeds scattered over the finished fish add a toasted, nutty finish, and the dish is best served hot over steamed white rice.
Korean Spicy Braised Pufferfish
Cleaned pufferfish fillets are steamed with bean sprouts and water dropwort under a spicy sauce built from gochugaru and gochujang. Pufferfish meat is very low in fat, giving it a lean, firm texture that holds together under bold seasoning rather than falling apart. Bean sprouts add a crisp, watery contrast to the dense chili paste, and water dropwort brings a distinctly herbal, slightly peppery fragrance that lifts the dish. Soy sauce and minced garlic round out the seasoning, adding depth without shifting the profile away from the chili-forward base. Pufferfish preparations are a regional specialty of Korea's coastal areas, where the fish is abundant and handled with particular care.