Sweet and Salty Crispy Kkongchi Ganjang Jorim (Soy Braised Saury)
A side dish made with pacific saury coated in potato starch, pan-fried until crispy, and braised in a sweet and savory sauce.
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 →
Deboned pacific saury is coated in potato starch, pan-fried, and then braised down in a savory soy sauce glaze. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it is great as a side dish for rice as well as a bar snack.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pacific saury2 whole
- Potato starch4 tbsp
Marinade
- Ginger juice1/2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Ground black pepper1/3 tsp
Seasoning
- Soy sauce1.5 tbsp (1 1/2 tbsp)
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Sugar1/2 tbsp
- Water2 tbsp
- Cut off the head and tail of the pacific saury, remove the guts, and wash thoroughly in water. Make a lengthwise cut along the belly side, just deep enough without cutting all the way through the back, and butterfly it open. Gently tap along the thick center bone with the handle of your knife to tenderize it, and the bone will pull away easily with your fingers.
- Mix the ginger juice and mirin together and brush evenly over the saury flesh, then sprinkle lightly with salt and ground black pepper and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Steps
1. Cut off the head and tail of the pacific saury, remove the guts, and wash thoroughly in water.
Make a lengthwise cut along the belly side, just deep enough without cutting all the way through the back, and butterfly it open.
Gently tap along the thick center bone with the handle of your knife to tenderize it,
and the bone will pull away easily with your fingers.
Mix the ginger juice and mirin together and brush evenly over the saury flesh, sprinkle lightly with salt and ground black pepper,
and let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Add all sauce ingredients together and mix well.
3. Coat both sides of the marinated pacific saury with potato starch.
4. Heat oil in a heated pan and pan-fry both sides until golden brown.
Cook the skin side first so it does not curl up.
5. Pour the sauce into a pan, and once it starts to bubble...
6. Lower to low heat, add the pacific saury, and once one side absorbs the color, flip it over and braise.
When the sauce is boiled down thick, it is done.
Ppunwife's tips
- Cook the skin side first so it does not curl up.
FAQ
Is there an easy way to remove the thick backbone of the pacific saury?
After butterflying the pacific saury open, gently tap along the thick center bone with the handle of your knife to soften it, and you can easily peel it away with your fingers.
Is there a trick to keep the pacific saury from curling while pan-frying?
When pan-frying in an oiled pan, cook the skin side facing down first so the fish will not curl up.
Why coat it with potato starch before braising?
Coating it in potato starch and pan-frying gives the dish more body, and the sauce clings to the surface much better when braising.
Can I use all-purpose flour or Korean pancake mix instead of potato starch? AI-generated
It is completely fine to use a thin coat of all-purpose flour or Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) instead, but it may be slightly less crispy than using potato starch.
