Spicy Braised Monkfish (Agwi Jjim)
Blanch monkfish fillets, simmer with soybean sprouts and red chili seasoning, then thicken with potato starch.
- Cuisine
- Korean
- Prep
- 23 min
- Cook
- 22 min
Scale the recipe
Ingredients
- Trimmed boneless monkfish Raw flesh after thawing in the refrigerator, removing bone, membrane and small bones, and patting dry
- 500 g
- Thick soybean sprouts Discolored parts removed, rinsed and drained
- 350 g
- Cultivated water dropwort (minari) Tough ends removed
- 40 g
- Large green onion (daepa)
- 30 g
- Unsalted anchovy and kelp broth
- 1 C
Seasonings
- Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 3 T
- Brewed soy sauce
- 2 T
- Korean chili paste (gochujang)
- 1/2 T
- Minced garlic
- 1 T
- Sugar
- 1/2 T
- Potato starch
- 1 T + 1/2 T
- Cold water for the slurry
- 3 T
- Sesame oil
- 1/2 T
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 1/3 T
Level measures: 1 T (tablespoon) = 15 mL, 1 C (paper cup) = 180 mL. Household spoons and cups can vary in size.
Method
-
Trim the monkfish
Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator. Remove any membrane and small bones, pat dry and weigh the monkfish 500 g. Cut into even 4–5 cm pieces. Wash your hands, knife and board after handling raw fish.
-
Wash the soybean sprouts
Remove yellowed parts and rinse the sprouts under running water. Drain and weigh the sprouts 350 g.
-
Cut the green onion and minari
Rinse the minari 40 g under running water and cut into lengths of about 4 cm. Slice the green onion 30 g into thick diagonal pieces and set aside.
-
Mix the chili seasoning
Mix the chili flakes 3 T, brewed soy sauce 2 T, gochujang 1/2 T, minced garlic 1 T and sugar 1/2 T until smooth.
-
Prepare the starch slurry
Mix the potato starch 1 T + 1/2 T and cold water 3 T in a small bowl. If the starch settles, stir again just before adding.
-
Blanch the fish
Bring enough separate water to cover the monkfish to a boil. Add the fish. Once the water boils again, blanch over medium heat about 3 minutes until the outside turns white. Lift into a clean strainer and discard the water.
-
Simmer in broth and seasoning
Dissolve the seasoning in the stock 1 C in a wide pot. Bring to a boil, add the fish in one layer and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Spoon the broth over the fish without stirring roughly.
-
Steam the sprouts
Spread the sprouts over the fish and cover. Cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Check that the sprouts have softened without turning mushy and that the red seasoning is beginning to coat the fish.
-
Check the internal temperature
Insert a food thermometer from the side into the thickest piece. Simmer over medium heat until the center stays at 85°C or above for 1 minute.
-
Thicken and add the greens
Stir the slurry again and pour it gradually into the bubbling broth while stirring with a spatula. When the sauce lightly coats the fish and sprouts, add the green onion and minari and simmer 1 minute more.
-
Finish with sesame
Turn off the heat, add sesame oil 1/2 T and toasted sesame seeds 1/3 T, then plate the fish and sprouts. Refrigerate leftovers at 4°C or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C indoors.
