Mackerel Pike Kimchi Stew, cooked at home

Mackerel pike kimchi stew is another popular Korean kimchi jjigae recipe. Adding a can of mackerel pike brings the taste of the ordinary kimchi stew to another level.

One of our favorite way of consuming overly fermented cabbage kimchi would be making into kimchi stew, of course. And this mackerel pike kimchi stew (kkongchi kimchi jjigae, 꽁치 김치찌개) is one of them we like. If you want to try Korean stew recipes, this is a direct one that you can’t mess it up.

There are many things you can throw in a Korean kimchi stew; pork, anchovies, tuna, ham, tofu, fish cakes, rice cakes. Perhaps Richard Parker, too, if you dare.

Today, we are trowing in a fish called “Mackerel pike”.

Canned Mackerel Pike

Mackerel pike is related to Mackerel fish family, but only smaller and slimmer. It’s a common fish fond in Korean cuisine and the grilling is the popular cooking method for this fish.

The canned mackerel pike is easily adapted in many Korean recipes. It happens to be our favorite kind of canned form of fish. You can eat the BONES!!! – a wonderful supplement of natural non-dairy calcium in a affordable price.

You can easily find this canned form of savory fish in any Korean stores. Make sure to pick “mackerel pike” not the mackerel.

We promise we won’t let you down with this Mackerel Pike Kimchi Stew (꽁치김치찌개, kkonchi kimchi jjigae). This is our favorite type of kimchi stew and we hope it can be yours, too.

Recipe Instructions

Drain your pikes but reserve about 1/4 cup of its juice.

Get your onion ready, chop your garlic and ginger, too.

In a small bowl, combine the reserved canned juice with Korean chili flakes, garlic, ginger, and Korean soy sauce for soup.

You gotta add kimchi juice when you make kimchi stew. Add the juice to the chili garlic mix in the bowl and combine well.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a pot and fry your truly sour kimchi for 5 minutes over medium heat. Oh, the aroma! There is something about fried kimchi. Salivation comes in automatically.

Hint: If your kimchi is too sour, add 1 tsp of sugar. This will neutralize the sourness a bit.

Add the fish and the onions on top.

Drizzle the sauce evenly over to our ocean friend.

Then pour some water to barely cover everything.

Boil first, then cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until your kimchi is soft.

Then it will look like this. Season with more Korean soy sauce for soup if you need.

We like to throw some chilies on our stew but it is optional choice. If you add the chilies, cook 1-2 more minutes so that the flavor will mingle all together.

Bring your creation close to the light. Take a shot of your not-so-hard work of art.

Then, bring a bowl of rice piled high and dig in! You don’t need anything else, honestly. Well, maybe a tall glass of water?

We are so, so, soooo sorry that we are eating this all by myself. However, we are leaving the recipe below just for you. Some says that sharing is the icing on the cake. For us, it is the kimchi on the rice. 🙂

The world seems much better place when we share what we love. Hope you would give this a try!

Other Kimchi Stew Recipes

• Anchovy Kimchi Stew (Myulchi Kimchi Jjigae)
• Kimchi Stew (Kimchi Jjigae) with Tomatoes
• Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew with pork)

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz) can mackerel pike, reserve 1/4 cup of juice and drain the rest
• 2 cup kimchi, diced
• 1 tsp sugar, optional
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• 1-2 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
• 3 tbsp kimchi juice
• 1 1/2 cup water, or more
• 1 each green and red chilies, sliced, optional
• 1 green onion, chopped

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of canned mackerel juice with garlic, ginger, Korean chili flakes, and soy sauce. Add the kimchi juice and combine well. Set aside.
2. Heat grape seed oil in a shallow pot over medium heat and fry kimchi for 5 minutes until they get somewhat soft. (Add 1 teaspoon sugar if your kimchi is too sour)
3. Add canned fish and onion to the pot and drizzle the chili garlic sauce over. Pour water to barely over everything. You might nee a little more.
4. Bring to boil and cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste the stew and season more with soy sauce if you need.
5. Add the chilies, if using, and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Garnish with green onion. Serve hot with rice.