Korean Salted Anchovy Jeotgal
Quick answer
- Total time
- At least 19 days
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
The salt is kept at twenty percent of the anchovy weight, and the jar stays in the fridge for the whole cure.
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The jar stays shut until brine rises over the fish, and only then do garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and rice wine go in, their aroma sitting on top of an already mellowed, salty base. A little stirred into kimchi paste adds savory depth, and a spoonful over hot rice works as a side dish on its own.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Rinse 700 g fresh small anchovies quickly in cold water, then remove the heads and entrails right away.
Salting does not kill anisakis larvae, so check the flesh and belly cavity as you clean them and discard any fish with thread-like larvae. Do not soak them, because the flesh softens easily; drain in a sieve until surface moisture is mostly gone.
- 2
Measure 140 g sea salt, keeping the salt at twenty percent of the anchovy weight.
In a sterilized glass jar, layer anchovies and salt alternately, then press firmly so there are no large air pockets.
- 3
Finish with a light salt layer on the surface, seal the jar, and refrigerate.
Leave it undisturbed for five days, checking only that brine forms and the anchovies stay covered rather than exposed to air.
- 4
On day five, add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp gochugaru, and 2 tbsp rice wine.
Fold from bottom to top gently so the seasonings spread without crushing the anchovies.
- 5
Pack the seasoned anchovies back into the jar and press them down firmly with a clean spoon.
Make sure liquid rises over the surface so the top does not dry out or contact air directly.
- 6
Seal again and continue refrigerating for at least two more weeks.
When the saltiness and fermented aroma deepen, scoop out small amounts with a clean spoon for kimchi seasoning paste or hot rice.
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