Chewy Al Gamja Jorim (Braised Baby Potatoes)
A side dish of baby potatoes gently braised in soy sauce seasoning to bring out their chewy texture.
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 al gamja jorim is flavored with soy sauce and rice syrup for a savory-sweet richness. Braised slowly with the skins on, the potatoes develop wrinkled surfaces and a chewy texture, making them wonderful as an everyday side dish or for kids.
- Servings
- 4–5 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby potatoes500 g
- Cooking oil1 tbsp
- Perilla oil1 tbsp
- Broth tablet1
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))4 tbsp
- Rice syrup (jocheong) (or corn syrup (mulyeot))4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Water3 cups
- Toasted sesame oil (or perilla oil)1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- It is best to pick baby potatoes of uniform size. Also, if the skins are too thick, they will turn tough rather than wrinkle, even with long braising.
- Fill a bowl with water and soak them for at least 10 minutes. This helps loosen stubborn dirt and debris.
- Since baby potatoes are eaten with the skins on, soak them in water first, rub them vigorously with your hands to remove any dirt thoroughly, and rinse several times under running water.
- I was completely out of anchovy broth, so I used a broth tablet; if you have broth ready, you can use 3 cups of that instead of water.
Steps
Washing the baby potatoes
Rinse once in water to wash off the dirt and debris clinging to the surface of the potatoes.
Fill a bowl with water and soak them for at least 10 minutes.
This helps loosen stubborn dirt and debris.
Drain the water and rub them vigorously with your hands.
This cleanly removes any remaining dirt stuck to the potatoes.
Because baby potatoes are eaten with their skins on, you need to clean them thoroughly.
Rinse several times under running water and drain in a colander.
Boiling the baby potatoes
Boiling the baby potatoes
Add 1 tbsp of salt to rolling boiling water and blanch the baby potatoes for about 3 minutes.
Adjust the time depending on their size.
This removes the acrid taste in the skin, and they do not need to be cooked all the way through.
Braising
Braising
Add 1 tbsp each of cooking oil and perilla oil to a deep pan and stir-fry briskly so the surfaces are thoroughly and evenly cooked.
Add 3 cups of water, 4 tbsp of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 4 tbsp of rice syrup (jocheong) (or corn syrup), 2 tbsp of mirin (cooking rice wine), and 1 broth tablet.
I was completely out of anchovy broth, so I used a broth tablet; if you have broth ready, you can use 3 cups of that instead of water.
Once it starts boiling vigorously, cover with a lid and simmer over medium to low heat, tossing them occasionally so the potatoes swap positions as they braise.
After boiling for at least 15 minutes, when the liquid has reduced by more than half, stir frequently.
If the color has not developed much and you feel there is not enough liquid, just add more water and simmer gently.
Once the soy sauce color has evenly absorbed and the liquid is almost boiled down, the potato skins will start to wrinkle.
Finish by adding 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds.
Ppunwife's tips
- Al gamja jorim wrinkles much more once it cools completely than right after it is braised.
- If you add Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) when braising at the end, you can enjoy it with a spicy kick.
FAQ
Why blanch the baby potatoes in boiling water before braising?
Blanching them in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes eliminates the harsh, acrid taste unique to potato skins.
Is there a trick to braising baby potatoes so they turn out chewier and more wrinkled?
Simmer them gently once the liquid reduces by more than half, tossing them so they do not burn; this creates the wrinkles. The chewy texture becomes even more pronounced when completely cooled or chilled in the refrigerator than when freshly cooked.
Can I use something else instead of a broth tablet?
If you have anchovy broth prepared in advance, simply use 3 cups of that broth instead of plain water and the broth tablet.
How can I make this spicy for adults instead of kids?
You can add sliced Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) to taste at the end while reducing the sauce to give it a sharp, spicy kick.
