Sweet and Spicy Kodari Jorim (Braised Semi-Dried Pollock)
A winter dish of semi-dried pollock braised sweet and spicy with Korean radish and cylindrical rice cakes.
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 →
This one-dish meal features winter semi-dried pollock braised spicy with thinly sliced Korean radish and chewy cylindrical rice cakes. Adding the pollock heads creates deep savoriness, while thoroughly scraping away the black membrane and blood clots along the spine is key to eliminating any fishy smell. The rich, thickened sauce and tender fish make an excellent side dish for rice or a pairing with drinks.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Semi-dried pollack (kodari)2 whole, 600 g
- Korean radish (mu)200 g
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Cylindrical rice cakes (garae-tteok)a little
- Kelp broth3 cups
- Perilla oil2 tbsp
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))3 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Soak 2 squares of dried kelp (dasima) (5 cm across) in 3 cups of water for about 1 hour to prepare the kelp broth.
- Trim the fins, scrape off the scales, and thoroughly remove the black membrane and blood clots near the spine with your fingers or a knife to prevent any fishy odor.
Steps
Prepare 2 large semi-dried pollack (kodari).
I also prepared a few cylindrical rice cakes (garae-tteok); adding rice cakes to a spicy braise makes it really fun to eat.
For vegetables: Korean radish, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Cut off all the fins attached to the pollock.
Scrape the scales off the body with a knife as well.
You can cut it into smaller pieces, or simply cut it in half including the head as I did.
Adding the heads imparts flavor to the broth and makes it delicious.
Scrape away the black membrane and blood clots along the spine using your fingers or a knife;
cleaning them off thoroughly prevents any fishy odor.
Slice the radish not too thick, about 0.5 cm thick,
and slice the green onion and Cheongyang chili peppers into bite-size pieces.
Soak 2 squares of dried kelp (dasima) (5 cm across) in 3 cups of water for about 1 hour.
Add all the seasoning ingredients together and mix.
Lay the radish slices across the bottom of a wide pan...
Place the pollock on top, pour all the seasoning sauce over it, and pour in the broth.
Finally, drizzle in the perilla oil. Once it comes to a boil, cover with a lid
and braise until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Add the green onion, Cheongyang chili peppers, and rice cakes, then simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding the pollock heads lends rich flavor like a broth and makes it delicious.
- To give the braise a vibrant, appealing color, mix in some fine chili powder.
FAQ
What should I pay attention to during prep to reduce fishiness in semi-dried pollock?
Trim the fins and scrape off the scales on the body, then thoroughly scrape away the black membrane and blood clots along the spine using your fingers or a knife to eliminate any fishy odor.
Is there a way to give the braise a richer, more appetizing color?
Mixing in some fine chili powder when making the sauce will give the braised dish a much more vibrant color.
What is the best way to serve and enjoy the finished braised pollock?
It pairs wonderfully when you wrap the saucy fish and radish with rice in unseasoned dried seaweed sheets (gim), or mix rice and the sauce with plain seasoned soybean sprouts.
Can I use tteokbokki rice cakes or sliced rice cakes instead of cylindrical rice cakes? AI-generated
You can easily substitute other rice cakes such as tteokbokki rice cakes or regular rice cakes; if using thinner rice cakes, add them near the end when the sauce has thickened so they do not become mushy.
