Hearty Wintergreen Fern (Naengi) Soybean Paste Stew
How to Make Delicious Gyeongsang-do Style Hearty Wintergreen Fern Soybean Paste Stew, Just Like Mom’s
Hello everyone! This is Henri’s older sister, who loves to cook. Today, I’ll be making the hearty Gyeongsang-do style wintergreen fern soybean paste stew that my mom used to make with the ferns I harvested recently. There’s a secret to this recipe, you know! Heh heh.
Main Ingredients- Wintergreen Fern (Naengi) – 2 cups (cleaned and washed)
- Rice Water – 2.5 large bowls (or regular water)
- Soybean Paste (Doenjang) – 2 Tbsp
- Dried Anchovies for broth – 1 cup (heads and guts removed)
- Green Onion – 1/2 cup (chopped)
- Raw Soybean Flour – 2 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare 2.5 large bowls of rice water. If you don’t have rice water, regular water is perfectly fine. Pour the rice water into a pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
Step 2
Once the rice water is boiling, add about 1 cup of dried anchovies (with heads and guts removed) to create a flavorful broth.
Step 3
After the anchovy broth has sufficiently steeped, carefully strain it out. By removing the anchovies’ intestines, which can cause a bitter taste, the broth remains clean and pleasant even if simmered for a longer time.
Step 4
Get your cleaned and washed wintergreen ferns ready. If the ferns are tangled, use scissors or a knife to cut them into manageable pieces, about 3-5 cm long. This will make them easier to eat in the stew.
Step 5
Now, let me reveal the secret ingredient that makes this wintergreen fern soybean paste stew even more hearty and delicious! It’s ‘raw soybean flour’. Adding raw soybean flour when making fern or mugwort stew makes the broth much smoother and imparts a deep, savory flavor. It’s my mom’s special secret!
Step 6
Add 2 Tbsp of raw soybean flour to the cut wintergreen ferns and gently mix them together with your hands. It’s important to coat the ferns evenly with the soybean flour.
Step 7
In the clear anchovy broth you made, add 2 Tbsp of soybean paste. Two heaping tablespoons from a regular soup spoon should be about right.
Step 8
Use a ladle or whisk to dissolve the soybean paste completely into the broth, ensuring there are no clumps. Dissolving the soybean paste in the clear broth first helps it melt smoothly without lumps.
Step 9
Now, carefully add the wintergreen ferns, coated with soybean flour, into the pot.
Step 10
As soon as you add the ferns, resist the urge to stir immediately. Let it simmer gently for a bit. This helps prevent the soybean flour from clumping and allows the natural flavors of the ingredients to meld.
Step 11
Let it simmer over medium heat until the soybean flour and ferns are fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. This will allow the fragrant essence of the ferns and the savory richness of the soybean flour to infuse into the broth.
Step 12
Finally, add the chopped green onions and simmer for another moment. The fresh, clean flavor of the green onions will enhance the overall aroma and taste of the stew.
Step 13
After adding the green onions, you can either serve it immediately or let it simmer for a little longer to allow the green onion flavor to fully meld into the broth. Adjust according to your preference.
Step 14
Your hearty and fragrant mom-style wintergreen fern soybean paste stew is complete! It’s perfect for enjoying with a bowl of rice.
Step 15
I find that stewing the wintergreen ferns coated in raw soybean flour results in a much heartier and richer flavor compared to a regular soybean paste stew. Having always eaten it this way since childhood, a soybean paste stew without soybean flour always feels a little incomplete to me. This secret ingredient makes the taste truly special.
Step 16
Mixing it with warm rice, this wintergreen fern soybean paste stew is absolutely delicious! The fresh, aromatic scent of the ferns filling my mouth is simply divine. 👃🌱 Although it was quite chilly when I harvested the ferns last time, enjoying them in a warm stew like this makes me so happy. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to eat them, as I didn’t want to buy them from the supermarket, and now I finally can! I highly recommend you try making this stew!
