Saengseon Jjim - Braised Fish and Radish in Spicy Sauce

We used to always prepare saengseon jjim with cod or halibut, but one day I used salmon and was delightfully surprised. That’s when I realized that this sauce lends itself well to many different varieties of fish. The flexibility enables you to choose the freshest looking fish at the store. The sauce is spicy and savory with a hint of sweet from the brown sugar, and you’ll want to serve this hearty dish with a side of rice. You can find gochugaru and gochujang in Asian markets, or purchase them online.

Saengseon Jjim - Braised Fish and Radish in Spicy Sauce

Yield: 4-5

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

SAUCE

½ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice wine (like sake)

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons gochugaru (korean red pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons gochujang (korean fermented red chili paste)

¾ cup water

FISH

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 pound korean white radish (or daikon radish), peeled, quartered and cut in ¼-inch thick slices

2 pounds cleaned fish fillets (such as halibut, cod, salmon, or sea bass), in 3-inch thick pieces

3 scallions, thinly sliced

sesame seeds for garnish

METHOD

1.      In a medium bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

2.     In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering.

3.     Add onions and radish to pot and sauté until onions start to soften, about 1 minute.

4.     Stir sauce into pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until radish is half tender, about 5 minutes.

5.     Add fish on top of radish and spoon sauce over the fish. Cover and simmer until the fish and radish are cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Baste fish frequently during this time and be careful not to break up the fish.

6.     Carefully transfer the fish and radish to a serving bowl and spoon sauce over the fish. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

7.      Serve with side of rice.