Spicy Kodari Jorim (Braised Semi-Dried Pollock)
A braised fish side dish featuring semi-dried pollock thawed in salt water and simmered with Korean radish in a spicy seasoning 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 →
Thawing the fish in salt water keeps the flesh firm and prevents it from breaking apart while cooking. A broth brewed from pollock heads, anchovies, and kelp adds deep savory umami, pairing wonderfully with spicy seasoning and radish for a great rice side dish.
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Semi-dried pollack (kodari)4 whole (1 kg, medium-sized)
- Korean radish (mu)200 g
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Red chili pepper1
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Broth3 cups
Seasoning
- Brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang) or regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)6 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)4 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Ginger juice1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Perilla oil2 tbsp
- The 1 kg weight of semi-dried pollock is after cutting off the heads and cleaning.
- For vegetables, you can prepare onions, potatoes, or mushrooms to your liking.
Steps
1–2. Cut off the head and fins,
then gently scrape off any scales on the surface using the back of your knife.
3. Peel back the membrane covering the inner backbone to reveal dark red blood clots.
4. Scrape these clean to ensure there is no fishy odor and the flavor stays clean.
The same applies when prepping dongtae (frozen pollock).
Some pollock comes already cleaned of this part and some does not, so check carefully and clean it well.
5. Cut into bite-sized pieces, rinse under running water,
and submerge in enough salt water to cover to thaw.
Soaking in salt water prevents the fish from falling apart during cooking, makes the flesh plump and firm, and seasons it nicely.
The ratio for the salt water is 1/2 cup of coarse sea salt to 10 cups of water.
6. While the pollock meat thaws, make the broth.
Use the pollock heads along with anchovies and kelp to brew the broth.
Add 4 pollock heads, 10 dried anchovies, 1 piece of dried kelp (dasima, 10 cm square), and 6 cups of water, then boil for over 10 minutes.
7. Slice the radish into bite-sized squares, and diagonally slice the Cheongyang chili peppers, red chili pepper, and large green onion.
For vegetables, you can prepare onions, potatoes, or mushrooms to your liking.
8. Add all the seasoning sauce ingredients together and mix well.
10
9. Drain the thawed pollock thoroughly in a colander.
10. Lay the radish slices across the bottom of the pot first, then spread the pollock pieces on top...
11
12
11. Pour in the broth and seasoning sauce, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium
and simmer until the liquid reduces by about 2/3.
12. Add the chili peppers and large green onion, then tilt the pot to spoon the bottom liquid over the top while braising until the sauce is reduced and thickened to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Soaking the fish in salt water prevents it from breaking apart easily during cooking, makes the flesh plump and firm, and seasons it nicely.
- If you want true braised flavor, be sure to make the broth.
FAQ
Why should semi-dried pollock be thawed in salt water?
Thawing it in salt water keeps the flesh firm so it does not fall apart easily during cooking, improves its texture, and lightly seasons the fish.
What should I be careful of when cleaning pollock to reduce the fishy smell?
Peel back the inner membrane covering the backbone and cleanly scrape away any remaining dark red blood clots to ensure a clean flavor without any fishy odor.
Can I add vegetables other than radish?
Yes, you can add vegetables like onions, potatoes, or mushrooms to your liking.
