Clean Myeolchi Yuksu (Anchovy Broth) with No Fishiness
A clean, essential base broth simmered with dried anchovies and dried shrimp toasted without oil, along with vegetables.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Toasting dried anchovies and dried shrimp in a dry pan until crisp removes any off-odors and creates a clean taste. Steeping dried kelp in water first, then simmering it with vegetables, makes a wonderful basic soup stock for various broth dishes. Making a generous batch using simple everyday ingredients comes in handy whenever you cook.
- Cook time
- 20 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
- Keeps
- 7 days
Steps
Portion dried anchovies and shrimp for a single batch into zipper bags and store them in the refrigerator.
Toast dried anchovies and dried shrimp for a single batch without oil until crispy. This removes any fishy smell that could end up in the broth.
Dried seafood that has been stored in the refrigerator for a long time will also lose most of its off-odor when toasted like this.
Add the toasted anchovies and shrimp, onion, Korean radish, large green onion, and garlic to the water and bring to a boil. I omitted the garlic because I prefer adding it at the very end when making soup rather than while brewing broth.
Add water to a container and steep the dried kelp for one hour first. After that, add the ingredients above and bring to a boil over high heat first.
When it comes to a boil, remove the dried kelp, simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, and let it cool.
Strain the broth clean. For long-term storage, portion it into plastic bags and keep in the freezer;
for broth you will use within a week, store it in a pitcher in the refrigerator.
If you need anchovy broth in a hurry, make anchovy powder in advance and keep it ready.
The powder on the left is dried shrimp lightly toasted in an ungreased frying pan and ground in a blender.
The right is dried anchovies toasted in a frying pan and ground in a blender.
Just add about 2 tsp of powder per serving to boiling water and season to taste.
When the broth feels a bit weak, I add a little more anchovy powder and use it as broth for noodles or udon.
It is even better when used as a replacement for MSG.
Ppunwife's tips
- Dried seafood that has been stored in the refrigerator for a long time will also lose most of its off-odor when toasted like this.
- When it comes to a boil, remove the dried kelp, simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, and let it cool.
- If you need anchovy broth in a hurry, make anchovy powder in advance and keep it ready.
FAQ
Why do you toast dried anchovies and dried shrimp before boiling?
Toasting them without oil until crispy reduces the fishy smell and stale odor that might otherwise get into the broth.
How do you store the finished broth?
Store the portion you will use within a week in a water bottle in the refrigerator, and freeze any broth you want to keep longer in 1-portion batches in the freezer.
How can you make broth when you are short on time?
Grind roasted dried anchovies or shrimp in a blender into powder ahead of time, and add about 2 tsp per 1 serving to boiling water to make broth easily.
