Braised Hairtail Fish (Galchi-jorim)
A simple home version of the galchi-jorim famous at Seoul's Namdaemun Market. Hairtail is braised in a sweet-and-spicy sauce over a radish-and-kelp broth until the flavor soaks in — a rice-stealing side dish that empties your bowl in no time.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Hairtail fish2
- Korean radish1/4
- Onion1/2
- Cheongyang chili2
- Green onion1 stalk
- Dried kelp (dasima)5 leaves
Sauce
- Soy sauce3 Tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Corn syrup1 tbsp
- Red chili powder2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced gingerA pinch
- Cooking wine2 tbsp
- Black pepperA pinch
Directions
- 1
Cut the radish into wide slices and boil it with the kelp in enough water to cover. Once the water comes to a boil, remove the kelp.
- 2
Mix the soy sauce, sugar, corn syrup, red chili powder, minced garlic, minced ginger, cooking wine, and black pepper to make a sweet-and-spicy braising sauce.
- 3
Clean the hairtail by removing the innards and scales, then rinse it in water and drain. Rinsing well is key to getting rid of the fishy smell.
- 4
Place the cleaned hairtail into the boiling broth and spoon the braising sauce generously over it.
- 5
Add the onion, Cheongyang chili, and green onion on top, cover with a lid, and let it come to a rolling boil.
- 6
Braise while occasionally spooning the sauce over the hairtail, and it's done.
Tips
Adding minced garlic and ginger in about a 2:1 ratio helps mask the fishy smell. Using both sugar and corn syrup gives a deeper sweetness, and a broth of just radish and kelp brings plenty of savory flavor without anything more complicated.