Korean Braised Semi-Dried Pollock
Quick answer
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.
What makes this special
- Semi-dried pollock stays moist and chewy in a savory gochujang-soy radish braise.
- Semi-dried pollock stays moist and chewy unlike fully dried hwangtae
- Daikon layer on the pot bottom buffers fish from direct heat
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Trim the fins from the pollock with kitchen scissors, cut into 3 to 4 bite-s...
- 2 Slice the radish into 1 cm thick half-moons to form the pot base, cut the on...
- 3 Layer the radish slices across the pot bottom, arrange the pollock pieces sk...
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.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Trim the fins from the pollock with kitchen scissors, cut into 3 to 4 bite-sized portions, rinse briefly under cold running water, and pat each piece dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- 2Heat
Slice the radish into 1 cm thick half-moons to form the pot base, cut the onion into 0.7 cm wide strips, and slice the green onion into 3 cm diagonal pieces for even cooking.
- 3Season
Layer the radish slices across the pot bottom, arrange the pollock pieces skin side up, then whisk together soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and garlic in 350 ml of water and pour over evenly.
- 4Control
Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, skim off any foam with a spoon, then reduce to medium-low and braise for 20 minutes, spooning the sauce over the fish every 2 minutes.
- 5Season
Scatter the onion strips evenly over the fish and continue braising for 10 more minutes, basting with the sauce every 2 to 3 minutes so the seasoning penetrates deep into the flesh.
- 6Heat
Add the green onion, cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until fragrant and just wilted, then turn off the heat, let the pot cool for a few minutes, and transfer to a storage container.
After the steps
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