Godeungeo Kimchi Jorim 고등어 김치 조림 (Braised Mackerel w Kimchi)

Ingredients

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients: Serves 4 people

2, 3 mackerel, degutted & cleaned

1 Korean radish, cut into 1/2 inch thick semi-circular pieces

2 cups kimchi (1/2 cup kimchi juice)

2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

2 tbsp Mirin (or cooking wine)

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp ginger, minced

2 green onions

2, 3 cups of water

2 hot pepper (red and green each; optional)

4 anchovies (optional; broth)

Preparation

Cut the radish into semi-circular pieces about a half-inch thick. Prepare sauce ingredients and combine in a mixing bowl, set aside.

In a large pot, add 2 cups of water, sliced radish, and kimchi. Bring water to a slight boil on medium heat, cooking for about 15 minutes.

After degutting, cleaning, and rinsing the mackerel under cold water, cut mackerel into 3-inch pieces. Add on top of the kimchi.

Pour the sauce on top of the mackerel. Boil until the soup has reduced to half, 15-20 minutes. Do not stir the mixture, but coat the sauce over the top of the mackerel carefully. Keep lid semi-closed allowing the sauce to thicken over time.

After simmering another 10 minutes, add the scallions.

Serve with rice and other side dishes.

*In case you can’t get fresh or frozen mackerel, you can substitute with canned mackerel from your local Asian or Korean market. And as usual with most Korean stews and soups, be sure to taste as you cook so you can adjust the flavors accordingly.

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About

Godeungeo (mackerel) has a very special place in my heart, having eaten it every which way imaginable—pan-fried, grilled, braised, canned, smoked, you name it. But during my days in Seoul, there was this kogi jjip (barbecue restaurant) near my home that would serve this awesome dish for lunch for only $5 bucks. Needless to say, I was a regular customer and could never get tired of this, that is until I returned to the States. With my mom recently cooking up mackerel dishes, nostalgia set in and I had to make this for myself. This dish can be quite complicated for those unfamiliar or just squirmish dealing with whole fish, but most markets have frozen, de-gutted mackerel (although fresh would be ideal) that can be cooked upon thawing. Sadly for me, I got to get my hands dirty by gutting and cleaning the fish thoroughly under running water. The mackerel is cooked with cubed Asian radish (moo) and the usual red chili peppers (gochugaru & gochujang) for a spicy but yet addicting sauce. For those who have tried this dish, the combination of fish, radish, savory sauce, and rice is truly a one-of-a-kind taste. You can also wrap the ingredients with lettuce varieties like perilla leaves (gaednip) and red leaf lettuce (sangchu). Thankfully, it turned out the way I remembered it (hooray!) and plenty more leftovers for later. Now if I could only have access to fresh fish as I did in Korea, I would probably make this every week.