Jeju Style ‘Gakjaegi-guk’ (Horse Mackerel Doenjang Stew)
Jeju Style ‘Gakjaegi-guk’ (Horse Mackerel Doenjang Stew)
Taste of Jeju at Home! How to Make a Deep and Refreshing Gakjaegi-guk
Every year, I go fishing for horse mackerel and cook many dishes with them. Among them, today I’m making Jeju-style ‘Gakjaegi-guk’, famous for its refreshingly deep and rich broth. Let’s start this Jeju flavor at home!
Main Ingredients- 3-4 fresh horse mackerel
- 4-5 heads of young napa cabbage (eolgalbaechu)
Seasoning & Others- 1 Tbsp homemade doenjang (or Joseon doenjang)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 100ml rice wine (mirin or cooking sake)
- 5-6 cups water (approx. 1-1.2L)
- 1 Tbsp homemade doenjang (or Joseon doenjang)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 100ml rice wine (mirin or cooking sake)
- 5-6 cups water (approx. 1-1.2L)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the fresh horse mackerel. Scrape off the scales thoroughly, remove the guts, and rinse under running water. Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Step 2
To remove any fishy odor and enhance the umami, blend the minced garlic and rice wine (mirin or sake) together in a blender or mortar until roughly pureed. Small chunks are perfectly fine.
Step 3
Pour 5-6 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is vigorously boiling, add the prepared horse mackerel. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. This allows the savory flavor of the fish to infuse into the broth.
Step 4
After simmering for about 5 minutes, dissolve 1 tablespoon of doenjang (or Joseon doenjang) into the broth. It’s best to use a sieve to ensure there are no lumps and the doenjang is evenly dispersed.
Step 5
Add the blended mixture of garlic and rice wine that you prepared earlier. The mild pungency of garlic and the aroma of rice wine will deepen the flavor of the soup.
Step 6
Stir in 1 tablespoon of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) for color and a hint of spice. Let the stew simmer further for a short while after adding the doenjang and gochugaru, allowing the seasonings to meld together.
Step 7
Finally, add the washed and roughly chopped young napa cabbage. Continue to simmer for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and wilted. Your delicious Jeju-style Gakjaegi-guk is now ready! It’s best enjoyed piping hot.
