Gochujang-Braised Salmon

Gochujang-Braised Salmon
🐟 🌶️ 🐟

A frozen salmon fillet goes straight into a gently simmering broth scented with sliced garlic, fresh ginger coins, and toasted sesame oil. Soy sauce gives the braise its savory umami base, brown sugar adds sweetness, and gochujang and gochugaru bring the heat and deep red color. The broth has a balance of savory-sweet-spicy-umami flavors.

Gochujang is a fermented Korean red chile paste with sweet heat and a savory depth. Gochugaru is made from ground dried Korean red chiles. Together, they give the braise its distinctive chile flavor.

Gochujang-Braised Salmon

Ingredients

6 – 8 0z. fillet of salmon, frozen
1 c. filtered water
3 T. low- sodium soy sauce
1 T. toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2″ knob of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
2 t. brown sugar
1 t. gochugaru
1 1/2 t. gochujang
white rice for serving
parsley for garnish

Gochujang-Braised Salmon

Method

Rinse frozen fish under cold running water then place it on a plate. Set aside while prepping the other ingredients.

Add water, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, gochugaru, and gochujang to a medium pot or ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot).

Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low for 5 minutes.

Add the fillet, skin-side-up, and cook for 5 more minutes, then carefully flip the fish over without breaking up the fillet. Continue to simmer for another 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

To Serve

Spoon warm rice into a shallow bowl. Place salmon over the fish. Ladle sauce including ginger coins and slivered garlic over the top. Garnish with parsley. Traditional Korean banchan make great accompaniments.

Notes

Leaving the skin on while cooking helps hold the salmon together. After cooking, slide a thin spatula between the flesh and skin if you want to leave the skin behind. It’s edible, but it will be soft, not crisp. Check for pin bones and remove any with fish tweezers before serving.

This version uses sockeye salmon, but king or coho would work just as well.