Korean Steamed Rockfish (Spicy Gochugaru Radish Braise)
Quick answer
Ureok-jjim is a Korean spicy steamed rockfish cooked with Korean radish, onion, and green onion in a gochugaru and soy sauce broth.
What makes this special
- Ureok-jjim uses scored rockfish to ensure a spicy gochugaru and soy seasoning penetrates the firm, white fish completely.
- Scored rockfish flesh lets gochugaru-soy seasoning penetrate evenly
- Radish lining the pot base absorbs spicy broth and turns sweet-spicy
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Clean 900 g rockfish, removing scales and innards, then score each side in 2 to 3 places.
- 2 Cut 250 g Korean radish into thick slices about 1.5 cm wide and spread them...
- 3 When the radish edges start turning translucent, place the rockfish on top.
Ureok-jjim is a Korean spicy steamed rockfish cooked with Korean radish, onion, and green onion in a gochugaru and soy sauce broth. Rockfish has firm, well-defined flesh that holds its shape through the cooking process, and scoring the skin lets the bold seasoning reach deep into the meat. Radish softens in the braising liquid and absorbs the chili heat while contributing natural sweetness, and ginger keeps the fish tasting clean. The remaining sauce is concentrated enough to spoon over rice, delivering a hit of spicy, salty flavor with every bite.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Clean 900 g rockfish, removing scales and innards, then score each side in 2 to 3 places.
Sprinkle with 1 tbsp rice wine, rest for 5 minutes, and lightly blot surface moisture so the seasoning clings better.
- 2Control
Cut 250 g Korean radish into thick slices about 1.5 cm wide and spread them across the pot bottom without stacking too much.
Add part of the 400 ml water and start over medium heat to draw out sweetness.
- 3Season
When the radish edges start turning translucent, place the rockfish on top.
Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1.5 tbsp gochugaru, and the remaining water evenly around the fish instead of pouring everything on one spot.
- 4Control
Once the liquid begins bubbling, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Spoon the broth over the fish once or twice so the chili soy seasoning reaches into the scored cuts without breaking the flesh.
- 5Heat
When the fish flesh turns opaque and a chopstick slides into the radish with little resistance, add 70 g green onion.
Leave the lid slightly ajar and cook 5 more minutes to keep the onion aroma fresh.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat when the sauce has reduced to a shallow, spicy-salty broth.
Do not flip the fish at the end, because the firm flesh can still break. Serve pieces with radish and spoon the sauce over 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
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Korean Soy-Braised Rockfish
Ureok-jorim is a Korean soy-braised rockfish simmered with Korean radish, gochugaru, garlic, and rice wine. The radish goes in first and softens in the braising liquid before the cleaned whole fish is placed on top and basted with sauce over medium heat for ten minutes. Rice wine neutralizes any fishiness, while the radish absorbs the salty braising liquid and releases its own sweetness to balance the seasoning naturally. The rockfish flesh stays mild and flakes in soft layers, with gochugaru lending a gentle warmth to the overall dish.
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 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.
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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 Sea Squirt Mixed Rice
Fresh sea squirt is tossed with vinegared gochujang and sesame oil over warm rice for a bold seafood bibimbap. The sea squirt carries an intense, distinctive ocean flavor that fills the palate, tempered by the tangy sweetness of the sauce. Julienned cucumber and torn lettuce provide crisp contrast, while roasted seaweed flakes and sesame seeds add a nutty undertone. Mixing should happen right before eating to preserve the sea squirt's volatile aroma. Serving it soon after cooking keeps the intended texture clearer, while brief resting lets the sauce or broth settle into the dish.
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