Savory Soy-Marinated Shrimp (Ganjang Saewoo Jang)
The Ultimate Homemade Soy Shrimp: Perfectly De-Odorized and Delicious! Tips for Seasonal Seafood
We’ve prepared incredibly flavorful and delicious soy-marinated shrimp using freshly caught and flash-frozen shrimp. This recipe guarantees a rich umami taste!
Main Ingredients- Medium-sized shrimp (Jung-ha saeu) 40-50 pieces
- Soju 1/2 bottle (for marinating)
- Lemon juice 0.5 cup (for marinating)
Soy Marinade- Jorim-ganjang (braising soy sauce) 1 cup
- Yangjo-ganjang (brewing soy sauce) 1 cup
- Water 3.5 cups
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
- Whole garlic cloves 5 (thinly sliced)
- Ginger (same amount as garlic, thinly sliced)
- Dried kelp 1 sheet (palm-sized)
- Green chili pepper 1 (bias cut)
- Red chili pepper 1 (bias cut)
- Leek 1 stalk (cut into large pieces)
- Soju 1/2 cup (for marinade)
- Lemon juice 1/3 cup (for marinade)
- Whole black peppercorns 5
- Jorim-ganjang (braising soy sauce) 1 cup
- Yangjo-ganjang (brewing soy sauce) 1 cup
- Water 3.5 cups
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
- Whole garlic cloves 5 (thinly sliced)
- Ginger (same amount as garlic, thinly sliced)
- Dried kelp 1 sheet (palm-sized)
- Green chili pepper 1 (bias cut)
- Red chili pepper 1 (bias cut)
- Leek 1 stalk (cut into large pieces)
- Soju 1/2 cup (for marinade)
- Lemon juice 1/3 cup (for marinade)
- Whole black peppercorns 5
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by rinsing the fresh medium shrimp thoroughly under running water. Locate the sharp, pointed part just above the tail – this is the ‘water gun’ part, which can be removed for frying and is also recommended to remove here for a cleaner bite. Trim the long antennae and the sharp spines on top of the head.
Step 2
After rinsing, drain the shrimp well. Place them in a large bowl and pour enough soju to cover the shrimp halfway (submerged).
Step 3
Next, add half a cup of lemon juice over the shrimp. Let this mixture sit for 1 hour to effectively remove any fishy odor.
Step 4
Combine all the soy marinade ingredients (jorim-ganjang, yangjo-ganjang, water, leek, green chili, red chili, sliced garlic, sliced ginger, whole peppercorns, sugar, soju) in a pot. Add all ingredients except the lemon juice for the marinade. Simmer over medium-low heat until the leeks become tender, then turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Step 5
While the marinade cools, add the sheet of dried kelp. Once the kelp has softened and absorbed some liquid, remove and discard the kelp and leeks. Adding kelp during this stage enhances the umami flavor.
Step 6
Drain the shrimp that have been marinating in soju and lemon juice for an hour. Place them in a colander and gently rinse under running water. This helps remove any remaining impurities.
Step 7
Arrange the prepared shrimp neatly in your chosen storage container. Pour the cooled soy marinade over the shrimp. Finally, drizzle the remaining 1/3 cup of lemon juice over the top. This method ensures a perfectly de-odorized and delicious soy-marinated shrimp.
Step 8
Cover the container and refrigerate for 3 days to allow the flavors to meld.
Step 9
After 3 days, carefully pour out only the marinade into a pot. Bring it to a boil again, then let it cool completely. Once cooled, pour the marinade back over the shrimp in the container. Return to the refrigerator.
Step 10
Two days later, repeat the process: pour out the marinade, bring it to a boil, cool it completely, and then pour it back over the shrimp. Refrigerate again. Repeat this same process two days after that (for a total of three re-boiling and cooling cycles).
Step 11
After a total of 7 days of marinating and maturing, your beautiful soy-marinated shrimp will be ready to enjoy.
Step 12
The result is incredibly free of any fishy taste, not too salty, and deeply infused with savory flavor. Your effort will be richly rewarded!
Step 13
When serving, garnish with the bias-cut green and red chili peppers for a visually appealing dish. Don’t discard the shrimp heads! They are a key source of savory flavor, so be sure to savor them.
Step 14
Peel the shrimp and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Gently place them over warm rice. Drizzle some of the flavorful marinade over the rice, add a raw egg yolk or a sunny-side-up egg, and finish with a touch of sesame oil. Sprinkle with fragrant dried seaweed flakes and sesame seeds for an absolutely delicious and satisfying meal. It’s truly unforgettable!
