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Illustration of Dongtae Jjigae (Spicy Pollock Stew)

Soups & Stews

Dongtae Jjigae (Spicy Pollock Stew)

Boil the radish first to bring out its sweetness, then add the pollock and stir in the gochugaru seasoning. Add the tofu and chilies at the end so they keep their shape.

Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min · Total 35 min · 2 servings · Medium

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Steps

  1. 1

    Clean the pollock while it's half-thawed. Cut the radish, onion, and tofu into bite-size pieces, and slice the chili and leek on the diagonal.

    Fully thawed fish falls apart, so thaw it just enough to cut.

  2. 2

    Put the water, radish, and onion in a pot and boil over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the radish is half cooked.

  3. 3

    Stir in the gochugaru, soup soy sauce, doenjang, and garlic, add the pollock, and boil for 10 minutes.

    If the broth gets too low, add a little water.

  4. 4

    Add the tofu and boil 4 more minutes.

  5. 5

    Add the chili and leek and boil for 2 minutes. Check that the pollock is white and cooked through, then turn off the heat.

    If any of the flesh still looks translucent, boil 2 minutes more.

Substitutions

Instead ofUseHow
frozen pollocksemi-dried pollock (kodari) piecesCook kodari in the same order.
doenjanga pinch of saltWithout doenjang, season with soup soy sauce alone.

Storing leftovers

This is fish, so don't keep it long. Let it cool, store it airtight in the fridge, and eat within 1 to 2 days; bring it back to a boil and heat it all the way through. The fish breaks apart more each time you reheat it, so ladle gently. To freeze, freeze single-meal portions with the broth and use within 2 weeks.

Serve with

Rice, sigeumchi namul (seasoned spinach), and kimchi. It's spicy, so gyeran-jjim (steamed eggs) is also nice alongside.

Making more or less

If you add more pollock, increase the water and seasonings in the same proportion.

Questions

How do I make pollock stew without a fishy smell?

Most of the fishy smell comes from the black membrane inside the belly and any blood clots. Scrape off the black membrane and rinse when cleaning the fish, and add the pollock only after the seasoned broth comes to a boil. Stirring in a little doenjang and topping generously with chilies and leek at the end cuts the smell noticeably.