Stir Fried Hagfish (Gomjangeo Bokkeum)
Stir Fried Hagfish (Gomjangeo Bokkeum)
Ingredients
2 to 3 fresh hagfish
2 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang)
1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 Korean peppers, cut on the bias (substitute green bell peppers, sliced, if Korean peppers are unavailable)
1 carrot, julienned
Vegetable oil for cooking
Sesame seeds for garnish
Initial preparation
To subdue and reduce the production of slime, it is best to freeze and thaw whole hagfish or briefly blanch them before cleaning and preparing them.
Cleaning
Remove the skin, head and entrails of the hagfish. Cut hagfish into 2 to 3 inch long pieces and rinse in a bowl of salted ice water with a dash of rice vinegar or white vinegar. Drain, pat dry, and set aside.
Preparation
Mix gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl.
Heat oil in a large wok or pan over medium-high heat.
Stir-fry onions and carrots for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger and continue stirring until fragrant, around 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add sauce mixture, green peppers and hagfish to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the hagfish becomes firm, opaque, and white.
Add green onions and cook for a final minute, then remove from heat.
Transfer to a serving plate, garnish generously with sesame seeds, and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Recipe courtesy of Emily Miller, California Sea Grant
Photograph by Jinho Park, Adobe Stock