Rich Hwangtae Guk (Dried Pollock Soup)
Dried pollock soup simmered in a deep, rich broth made from roasted dried pollock head, potato, and water from washing rice.
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 →
The key is extracting a nourishing, deep broth made with roasted dried pollock head, potato, and water from washing rice. Even without Korean radish or soybean sprouts, the natural flavor of the dried pollock shines richly, making it wonderful as a warm hangover soup on cold winter days.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 40 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried yellow pollack (hwangtae) (or dried pollack strips (hwangtae-po))1 whole (110 g)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Perilla oil
Broth ingredients
- Potato2 (medium)
- Dried kelp (dasima)2 sheets (10 cm square)
- Water from washing rice10 cups
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Coarse sea salt
- Ground black peppera little
- The original recipe used 2 whole dried pollock, but I use a large dried pollock.
- Moisten the dried pollock lightly with water, squeeze out any remaining liquid, then separate the head, bones, and skin.
Steps
Prepare the dried pollock
Moisten the dried pollock lightly with water, squeeze out any remaining liquid, then separate the head, bones, and skin.
Toast the dried pollock meat and the pollock head (for broth) on a wire grill rack until golden brown without burning. You can also roast them in an air fryer or press them down in a frying pan.
Cut the ingredients
Tear the meat into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice the potatoes into flat squares, and finely slice the large green onion and Cheongyang chili pepper.
Make the broth
Drizzle perilla oil into a pot and sauté the potatoes until translucent, then add the roasted dried pollock head and dried kelp (dasima).
Pour in 10 cups of water from washing rice, which helps eliminate any fishy taste.
Once it begins to boil vigorously, skim off any foam and simmer gently over low heat for 30 minutes to make a rich broth.
Strain everything through a sieve and reserve only the broth.
You can use the potatoes and dried kelp in other dishes, and simply discard the dried pollock head. This yields about 6 cups of broth.
Simmer the soup
In a pot, combine the dried pollock meat with 1 tbsp soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) and mix to season.
Add a little of the broth to the pollock and stir-fry briskly, then pour in all the remaining reserved broth.
Once it boils vigorously, simmer gently for 10 minutes so the dried pollock turns tender, then finish seasoning with a little coarse sea salt.
At the very end, add the large green onion and Cheongyang chili pepper, then let it simmer just briefly. I finished it by shaking in a little ground black pepper.
Serve
This dried pollock hangover soup makes its broth from one dried pollock and is simmered until deep and rich.
The natural flavor of the dried pollock comes through so well that it feels like a true restorative meal.
A single bowl of this is so satisfying and hearty.
These days it is so cold that a meal feels impossible without a hot soup, so warm and comfort yourself with this rich dried pollock soup.
Ppunwife's tips
- From the broth solids, you can use the potatoes and dried kelp in other dishes, and simply discard the dried pollock head.
FAQ
How can I roast the dried pollock if I don't have a wire grill rack?
You can roast it in an air fryer or press it firmly down in a frying pan until golden.
Should I throw away the potatoes and dried kelp after boiling the broth?
Discard only the dried pollock head; the strained potatoes and dried kelp can be used in other dishes.
Why is water from washing rice used for the broth?
Simmering with water from washing rice helps neutralize the distinctive fishy flavor of dried pollock.
