Chewy and Flavorful River Snail Gang-Doenjang
Nutritious River Snail Gang-Doenjang Recipe
Make a deeply savory Gang-Doenjang using fresh river snails, known for their excellent benefits in detoxifying the liver and preventing osteoporosis! It’s delicious mixed with rice or wonderfully wrapped in pumpkin leaves. This dish is perfect for special occasions or to add abundance to an everyday meal.
Main Ingredients- 1 cup river snails (cleaned)
- 2 king oyster mushrooms
- 1/3 Korean zucchini (aehobak)
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 stalk green onion (scallion)
- 1 Korean chili pepper (cheongyang)
- 1 red chili pepper
- 1/2 cup rice water (or anchovy-kelp broth)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for cleaning snails)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Seasoning Ingredients- 4 tbsp soybean paste (doenjang)
- 1/2 tbsp red chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sugar (or corn syrup)
- 4 tbsp soybean paste (doenjang)
- 1/2 tbsp red chili paste (gochujang)
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sugar (or corn syrup)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Thoroughly clean the river snails by rubbing them with 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. This helps to remove any slime and debris. Rinse them under cold running water several times until they are completely clean and set aside to drain. Using flour to wash the snails helps maintain their chewy texture.
Step 2
Dice the king oyster mushrooms and Korean zucchini into 0.5cm cubes. Finely chop the onion. Slice the green onion into bite-sized pieces. For a visually appealing dish, thinly slice the Korean chili pepper and red chili pepper into rings, removing the seeds.
Step 3
In a small bowl, combine the soybean paste (4 tbsp), red chili paste (1/2 tbsp), red chili flakes (1 tsp), minced garlic (1 tbsp), and sugar (1 tsp). Mix well until smooth to create the seasoning paste.
Step 4
Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, diced zucchini, and sliced king oyster mushrooms. Sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant, which helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
Step 5
Pour in the rice water (1/2 cup) and the prepared seasoning paste into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the paste.
Step 6
Once the mixture is boiling vigorously, add the cleaned river snails, sliced green onion, Korean chili pepper, and red chili pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the snails are cooked and the flavors have melded. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more doenjang for saltiness or a touch more sugar for sweetness. Remove from heat and serve hot!
