The classic Korean fish stew is traditionally known as maeun-tang, which means "spicy" and "soup" or "stew" in the Korean language. The stew is a little bit spicy, a little sweet, and has dozens of variations. Any number of types of fish can be used, including cod, red snapper, halibut, yellow croaker, corvina, sea bass or pollack. Try to go to a fishmonger so you can have the fish head for the broth, even if you have it cleaned and filleted for you.
In certain seafood restaurants in Korea and in some Korean restaurants abroad, you can choose your fish while it's still swimming. The chefs at the restaurant will prepare your fish so that you can enjoy it raw (hwe), and then the restaurant will make this soup for you from the leftover parts of your fish (the head, leftover flesh, and bones) to eat after your sashimi. It ensures that no parts of the fish go to waste, making this an ultra-sustainable meal.
Ingredients
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1 whole fish, such as cod, filleted with the head separated but reserved
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8 ounces Korean radish, or Chinese white radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
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2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
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1 red chile pepper, cut on the bias
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1 green chile pepper, cut on the bias
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1 sweet onion, sliced into strips
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3 teaspoons kochukaru, Korean crushed red chile pepper powder
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3 tablespoons gochujang, Korean chile pepper paste
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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2 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
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1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
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4 ounces edible chrysanthemum leaves, crown daisy, ssukgat
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1/2 medium zucchini, sliced
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Salt, to taste
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Steps to Make It
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Cut the fish into several pieces.
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Bring 3 to 4 cups water (depending on the size of your fish) and the fish head to a boil.
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Add radish, garlic, gochujang, kochukaru, and sliced chiles and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Don't stir too much, as you want the broth to be relatively clear.
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Remove the fish head and add the fish meat into the pot. Simmer until fish is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add tofu, edible chrysanthemum (crown daisy) and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more. Do not stir anymore.
Tips
- Extract the excess water from the tofu by wrapping it in paper towels, putting it on a plate, and weighing it down with a heavy plate. Leave it for 30 minutes and drain the liquid before cubing the tofu.
- To help determine if the whole fish is fresh, look at the eyes. Older fish have cloudy eyes, while fresh fish's eyes are bright and clear.
- If you don't discard the fish bones during the cooking process, add an empty bowl on the table for people to place the bones in as they eat the fish stew.
- Serve with steamed white rice on the side for people to ladle the soup over while eating. You can also put thin noodles in the soup itself.
- Freeze the soup in individual portions to eat at a later date. The stew will last in the refrigerator for one to two days.
Recipe Variations
- For vegetable variations, include soybean sprouts, pumpkin, mushrooms, scallions, watercress, or Korean parsley (minari or water dropwort). Radish, zucchini and chile peppers are frequently used in homemade varieties.
- For more variety of seafood, add clams, oysters or other shellfish to the maeun-tang.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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404 | Calories |
6g | Fat |
27g | Carbs |
62g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 404 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 6g | 7% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
Cholesterol 125mg | 42% |
Sodium 1235mg | 54% |
Total Carbohydrate 27g | 10% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 16% |
Total Sugars 16g | |
Protein 62g | |
Vitamin C 75mg | 376% |
Calcium 301mg | 23% |
Iron 4mg | 24% |
Potassium 1231mg | 26% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |