Korean
Domi Maeuntang — Spicy Sea Bream Stew (도미 매운탕)
Domi maeuntang (도미 매운탕) uses the whole red sea bream (Pagrus major, 참돔) — one of Korea's most prized fish — in a boldly spiced broth with gochugaru, gochujang, doenjang, garlic, and a backbone of anchovy-kelp stock. The Gyeongsang-do style of maeuntang is the most intensely flavoured regional version: more gochugaru, more garlic, and the addition of doenjang to the broth base alongside gochujang, which the Seoul version typically omits. Whole fish is used rather than fillets — the head, collar, and spine contribute the most flavour and gelatin to the broth; eating the cheek meat (볼살, bol-sal) from a whole domi is considered the reward for the patient diner.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
Ten in town · two not yet within reach.
How the 12 are reached
- In town
- 10 · dried anchovies (국물용 멸치), whole red sea bream (참돔, Pagrus major), gochugaru (고추가루), gochujang (고추장), doenjang (된장), garlic, zucchini (애호박), firm tofu (두부), mushrooms, spring onions (대파)
- Not yet within reach
- 2 · dried kelp (다시마), perilla seed powder (들깨가루, deulkkae garu)
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the anchovy-kelp stock
1.5 litres
water
Your own market
30 g
dried anchovies (국물용 멸치)
heads and innards removed
Origin · KoreaIn town · Bosa Foods · Vancouver → · also Wismettac · Vancouver, SGC Food Distributors · Vancouver · 2 more
20 g
dried kelp (다시마)
wiped clean
Not yet within reach of Metro Vancouver · each reach is counted
1.2 kg
whole red sea bream (참돔, Pagrus major)
gutted, scaled, head and collar intact; fresh only — never frozen
2 tbsp
gochugaru (고추가루)
Korean red chilli flakes
Origin · KoreaIn town · Bosa Foods · Vancouver → · also Wismettac · Vancouver, SGC Food Distributors · Vancouver · 2 more
1 tbsp
gochujang (고추장)
1 tbsp
doenjang (된장)
dissolved in a small ladleful of hot stock before adding
Origin · KoreaIn town · Bosa Foods · Vancouver → · also Wismettac · Vancouver, SGC Food Distributors · Vancouver · 2 more
6 cloves
200 g
200 g
firm tofu (두부)
cut into 3 cm cubes
Origin · JapanIn town · T Amano Trading · Vancouver → · also Fujiya · Vancouver, Wismettac · Vancouver · 2 more
100 g
2 tbsp
perilla seed powder (들깨가루, deulkkae garu)
ground; added in the final 2 minutes
Not yet within reach of Metro Vancouver · each reach is counted
3
Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.
The larder of Metro Vancouver →Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Combine the water, dried anchovies, and kelp in a pot, bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook for 15 minutes, so the kelp gives its quiet sweetness without turning the stock bitter and slick — a fault it develops quickly if left beyond this point. Discard the solids. The stock should be pale gold and carry a clean marine scent.
2
Dissolve the doenjang in a small ladleful of the hot stock before stirring it back into the pot, so the paste disperses evenly rather than sitting in dense pockets that will make the broth taste uneven spoon to spoon. Add the gochugaru, gochujang, and minced garlic, stir to combine, and bring the broth to a steady simmer; the surface should show an even, rust-red colour with no raw gochugaru floating unmixed.
From the canon — Gochujang is one of the great fermented condiments of the world — a thick, brick-red Korean paste made from gochugaru (Korean red chilli flakes), fermented s… Gochujang (Korean Fermented Chilli Paste — Ratio and Use) →
3
Add the zucchini, tofu, and mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, so the vegetables draw a little of the spiced broth into themselves before the fish enters and demands all the attention. Pull back when the zucchini is just beginning to yield at the edges but still holds its shape.
4
This is where the dish lives or dies. With the broth at a clear, active simmer — not cold, not at a rolling boil — lower the whole sea bream into the pot, head and collar submerged, so the fish cooks through at the same rate from collar to tail without the violent agitation of a hard boil shredding the flesh from the frame. Cook for precisely 8–10 minutes: the flesh should just release from the backbone when pressed at the thickest point above the spine, but must not flake freely or pull away in loose fragments; test the cheek meat (볼살) last with a chopstick tip, as it will be the final part to firm.
5
In the final 2 minutes of cooking, scatter the perilla seed powder (들깨가루) over the surface and stir it gently through the broth, so it has just enough time to swell and soften the sharp, fermented heat into a slightly creamy, nutted character without losing its fragrance to prolonged cooking. Add the spring onions at this point; the broth should smell of roasted seeds cutting cleanly through the chilli base.
6
Bring the pot to the table directly, or transfer to a heated stone bowl (dolsot), keeping the broth at a visible simmer on arrival. Serve the cheek meat (볼살) as the first bite, extracted with chopsticks from behind the eye socket, and drink the broth from a spoon throughout the meal.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Live or same-day-landed 참돔 (Pagrus major) from a Gyeongsang coastal fish market; artisan doenjang aged a minimum of two years; stone-ground deulkkae garu from the current season's perilla harvest.
02
Estate — Fresh (never frozen) whole red sea bream from a reputable fishmonger; branded doenjang and gochujang from a single-producer Korean source; whole perilla seeds ground to order.
03
Market — Fresh whole sea bream available at a well-stocked Asian supermarket; standard commercial doenjang and gochujang; pre-ground deulkkae garu in sealed packaging within its use-by date.
04
House — Any fresh whole white-fleshed fish of comparable size; widely available commercial Korean pastes; perilla seed powder omitted if unavailable — the Gyeongsang regional character is lost but the dish remains coherent.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The broth surface shows a uniform rust-red colour before the fish is added — no unmixed islands of chilli paste or gochugaru.
◇Touch. A chopstick tip pressed at the thickest point of the fish above the spine meets brief resistance then passes cleanly — the flesh releases from the bone but does not fall away in loose flakes.
◇Smell. After the perilla seed powder is added, the sharp fermented-chilli note is joined by a distinct roasted, nutted undertone — the signal that the powder has properly bloomed into the broth.
◇Sight. The broth is still at a visible simmer when served — maeuntang is not a dish that waits.
◇Where it lives or dies. The fish enters only when the broth is already at a clear, active simmer, and cooks no more than 8–10 minutes — the flesh must just release from the backbone without fragmenting from the frame.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Shochu
From British Columbia
Beer
Without alcohol
Tea
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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The working kitchen
Sourced through Provenance