Galchi-Jorim — Braised Cutlassfish Jeju Style (갈치조림)

Ingredients

• 800 g cutlassfish (갈치, hairtail), cleaned, cut into 8 cm sections
• 300 g Korean radish (무), sliced 5 mm thick
• For the braising sauce
• 3 tbsp gochugaru (고춧가루)
• 2 tbsp ganjang (간장, Korean soy sauce)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp maesil-cheong (매실청, plum syrup)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 120 ml water

Method

1. 1
   Combine the gochugaru, ganjang, garlic, ginger, maesil-cheong, sesame oil, and water in a bowl and whisk until uniform, so the gochugaru is fully hydrated and the garlic and ginger are suspended rather than sitting in pockets that will scorch against the pan. The sauce should be the consistency of a loose paste — thick enough to coat a spoon but still pourable.
2. 2
   Arrange the radish slices in a single, overlapping layer across the base of a wide, shallow pan, so the radish forms a rack that lifts the fish clear of direct heat and prevents the skin from sticking and tearing. Lay the cutlassfish sections on top of the radish without stacking, pour the braising sauce evenly over the fish and radish, and begin with no heat applied — the fish must enter the sauce cold so it cooks gently from all sides as the liquid comes up to temperature.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and set over medium heat, braising for 10 minutes without lifting the lid, so the trapped steam builds quickly and cooks the upper surfaces of the fish at the same rate the sauce works from below. At the end of 10 minutes, lift the lid briefly to check: the sauce should be actively simmering around the radish, the fish surface will have turned from translucent silver to opaque white, and the gochugaru will have bloomed to a deep brick-red — if the pan appears dry, the heat is too high.
4. 4
   Remove the lid and, using a large spoon, baste the fish repeatedly with the sauce in the pan, so the reduced, spice-laden liquid glazes the top of the fish without the need to turn it — the flesh is too delicate to flip and broken pieces are the result of doing so. Continue braising over medium heat for a further 5 minutes, basting every minute, until the sauce reduces to a glossy, lacquered glaze that clings to the fish sections and coats the radish.
5. 5
   Remove from heat when the sauce no longer runs freely in the pan and the surface of the fish carries a concentrated, shining coat. Press the radish gently with the back of the spoon — it should yield without resistance, which tells you the base of the braise has absorbed the seasoning fully and the dish is ready to serve.