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 - 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.
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Instructions
- 1
Trim the fins from the pollock, cut into portions, rinse briefly in cold water, and pat dry.
- 2
Slice the radish into 1 cm half-moons, slice onion thickly, and diagonal-slice the green onion.
- 3
Layer radish in a pot, place pollock on top, then pour in water mixed with soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and minced garlic.
- 4
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and braise for 20 minutes.
- 5
Add onion and continue braising for 10 minutes, spooning sauce over the fish.
- 6
Add green onion, simmer 2-3 more minutes, then cool slightly before storing.
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