Tender Gosari Namul Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Bracken Fiddleheads)
A holiday memorial service side dish of bracken fern braised and stir-fried gently in broth until tender.
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 →
To make it suitable for ancestral memorial tables, green onion and garlic are left out, letting the natural flavor of the bracken fern shine with basic seasonings. Pouring in a bit of anchovy broth to gently steam it as it stir-fries creates a moist, tender texture with no toughness.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servingsOriginal: one plate
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Boiled bracken fern (gosari)350 g (after cleaning)
Seasoning
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or yondu (vegetable seasoning essence), fish soy sauce)1 tbsp
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Anchovy broth4 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Dried bracken fern must first be soaked thoroughly in water for at least 3 hours.
- Change the water while soaking so any dirt or debris clinging to the dried bracken fern washes away.
- If the ends of the bracken fern stems are hard or tough, trim them off with kitchen shears and cut into bite-sized lengths.
Steps
How to boil bracken fern
Dried bracken fern must first be soaked thoroughly in water for at least 3 hours.
Change the water while soaking so any dirt or debris clinging to the dried bracken fern washes away.
Once the bracken fern looks like it has expanded to two or three times its volume, move on to the boiling step.
Pour in enough water to submerge the bracken fern, bring it to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Once it has boiled until it feels chewy yet tender to the touch, turn off the heat and let it steam for 20 minutes.
You should check the boiling time depending on the thickness of the bracken fern so it does not turn mushy.
Trimming the bracken fern
If the ends of the bracken fern stems are hard or tough, trim them off with shears...
Cut into bite-sized lengths. (You will have 350g of bracken fern trimmed like this.)
Stir-frying the bracken fern
Grease a pan with oil, add the bracken fern, and add 1 tbsp soup soy sauce and 1 tbsp tuna extract sauce.
Stir-fry thoroughly so the seasonings blend evenly into the bracken fern...
Pour in 1/3 cup (4 tbsp) anchovy broth, cover with the lid, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring occasionally, as if letting it steam.
Once it is pleasantly tender to chew and well seasoned, remove the lid and stir-fry while letting the moisture evaporate.
Turn off the heat and finish by adding 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds.
Done
The stir-fried bracken fiddleheads are done.
Bracken fern namul that cannot be missed on holiday tables....
For a namul that might otherwise feel plain, pouring in broth to stir-fry it lets you enjoy a moist and delicious dish.
Ppunwife's tips
- By using simple seasonings without green onion or garlic so it can be placed on an ancestral memorial table, you can bring out the distinctive flavor of bracken fern.
- You should check the boiling time depending on the thickness of the bracken fern so it does not turn mushy.
- For a namul that might otherwise feel plain, pouring in broth to stir-fry it lets you enjoy a moist and delicious dish.
FAQ
Why is it stir-fried without green onion or garlic?
Green onion and garlic are omitted in keeping with the tradition of not using pungent alliums in namul served on ancestral memorial tables.
Is there a seasoning I can use instead of tuna extract sauce?
The ingredient notes state that it can be substituted with Yondu or fish soy sauce.
How long should dried bracken fern be soaked and boiled?
Soak it in cold water for at least 3 hours, simmer gently in boiling water for about 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam for 20 minutes.
What should I do if I do not have anchovy broth? AI-generated
Generally, it is fine to substitute with kelp-infused water, commercial broth tablets, or plain water when stir-frying.
