With Lent starting last week, many Korean families are partaking in the old tradition of not eating meat on Fridays. Instead, many families from all backgrounds are turning to alternative sources of protein like fish and beans. For many Koreans, mae un tang is a favorite traditional dish. This fish soup is hearty and delicious for those cold winter nights. For this mae un tang recipe, you will need:
- 1 large fish head
- 1 fish “rack” or skeleton
- 8 cups of water
- 7 ounces of firm tofu
- 8 ounces of daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ of a zucchini, halves and cut into slices
- 1 small red chili pepper, cut thinly on bias
- 1 small green chili pepper, cut thinly on the bias
- 1 sweet onion, cut into strips
- 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of gochugaru (powder)
- 3 tablespoons of gochujang (paste)
- 4 ounces of edible chrysanthemum leaves (optional)
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
To make this recipe, rinse the fish head thoroughly and pat dry. Using a paring knife, extract the flesh from the head and collar. If there is any flesh left on the rack, use your paring knife to remove it and reserve all flesh in a bowl. Place the head and rack into a stockpot and add the water. Bring the water to boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, turning the head over once during the cook time. While that is cooking, wrap the tofu in paper towels and use a heavy plate to weigh it down and extract the liquid. Once the fish is done cooking, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a separate pot then discard the bones. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the vegetable, garlic, soy sauce, gochugaru and gochujang. Reduce to medium and cook for six to seven minutes until the vegetables are tender. Reduce to medium-low heat and stir in the reserved fish flesh, cooking for about two minutes until tender and opaque. Unwrap the tofu and cut into large cubes then add them and the chrysanthemums to the pot, cooking for two to three minutes without stirring. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro and serve!
Mae Un Tang with Lotte Plaza Market
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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/korean-spicy-fish-stew-mae-un-tang/14097/