Braised Mackerel with Aged Kimchi
How to Make Delicious Braised Mackerel with Aged Kimchi
When your appetite is low, nothing beats a dish that stimulates your taste buds! That’s why I quickly whipped up this Braised Mackerel with Aged Kimchi. The savory mackerel combined with the spicy and tangy aged kimchi is a match made in heaven.
Main Ingredients
- 1-2 fresh mackerels, cleaned
- 1/4 head of well-fermented aged kimchi
- 1 stalk of green onion
- 1 onion
- 1/4 piece of Korean radish (daikon)
- 2 Korean chili peppers (cheongyang peppers)
Kimchi Juice & Water
- 1/2 cup aged kimchi juice
- 3 cups water (or rice water)
- 1/2 cup aged kimchi juice
- 3 cups water (or rice water)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, gather all the ingredients for the seasoning sauce in one bowl and mix them thoroughly. Preparing the sauce in advance makes the cooking process much smoother.
Step 2
Wash the Korean radish and cut it into 4 large pieces. This size is good for simmering and absorbing flavors. You can also cut them into half-moon shapes if you prefer.
Step 3
Peel the onion and rinse it clean. Slice it into thin strips (julienne). Avoid slicing them too thickly, as thinly sliced onions will release their sweetness more effectively into the braising liquid.
Step 4
Chop the green onion into bite-sized pieces. Slice the Korean chili peppers diagonally. Adjust the number of chili peppers according to your spice preference.
Step 5
Now, prepare your braising pot. Start by placing the sliced Korean radish at the very bottom of the pot. This prevents the other ingredients from sticking to the bottom and allows the radish to become tender and flavorful.
Step 6
On top of the radish, layer the sliced onion, followed by the aged kimchi (tear or cut into manageable pieces), and finally arrange the cleaned mackerel pieces.
Step 7
Drizzle the prepared seasoning sauce evenly over the mackerel and kimchi. Make sure to coat everything generously.
Step 8
Pour in the water (or rice water) and the aged kimchi juice. The liquid should initially come up to about the level of the onions. Using rice water adds a subtle depth of flavor.
Step 9
Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Boiling vigorously at the start helps to meld the flavors.
Step 10
Once the liquid starts boiling rapidly, reduce the heat to medium. The vegetables will release their juices, and the flavors will naturally begin to meld together without needing to stir the sauce separately.
Step 11
Simmer over medium heat until the liquid has reduced and becomes slightly thick. At this point, add more water to fill the pot again, bring it back to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer until the liquid is again ‘jajak’ (just enough to cover the bottom). Repeat this process of adding water, boiling on high, and simmering on medium. This repeated reduction and addition of liquid intensifies the flavors.
Step 12
When the liquid is again reduced to a ‘jajak’ consistency and starts to bubble, add the sliced Korean chili peppers and green onions. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened considerably and coats the ingredients well.
Step 13
Finally, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over the top for garnish. Your delicious Braised Mackerel with Aged Kimchi is now complete! Serve hot with a bowl of rice.
