There is no other stew as beloved in Korean cuisine as doenjang-jjigae. It’s been part of our culture for centuries, in good times and bad, always convenient, savory, and satisfying. If you can make good rice, kimchi, and doenjang-jjigae, you can lay claim to being a good Korean cook, and no one will ever dispute you. The significance of doenjang—fermented soybean paste—in Korean cuisine dictates that the stew be named after it, no matter how many other ingredients are added. Salty, earthy, and fermented, it’s uniquely Korean and it pretty much guarantees a delicious stew or soup. Dried anchovies deepen the stew’s flavor. I always make it in an earthenware pot, which looks beautiful on the table and keeps the stew piping hot until it’s all gone, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry—any heavy pot will work. For an even spicier dish, you can add some Korean hot pepper paste or hot pepper flakes along with the soybean paste. With rice alone, the stew will serve two people. It will serve four or more as part of a more elaborate meal with lots of side dishes.
SERVES: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 green Korean chili pepper (cheong-gochu), stemmed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large shrimp, shelled, deveined, and coarsely chopped (about ⅓ cup; optional)
- 2½ cups water
- 7 dried anchovies (mareun-myeolchi), heads and guts removed
- 5 tablespoons fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
- 6 ounces medium-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
- 2 scallions, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine the potato, onion, zucchini, chili pepper, garlic, shrimp (if using), and water in a 1½-quart flameproof earthenware or other heavy pot. Wrap the dried anchovies in cheesecloth, if desired, and place them on top of the other ingredients. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the soybean paste, mixing well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes longer. Add the tofu and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the anchovies with chopsticks if you’d like and discard.
- Serve directly from the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.
