Nourished Kitchen » Sustainable Seafood » Sustainable Seafood Recipes » Spicy Korean Seafood and Vegetable Stew

Posted: May 22, 2014 · Updated: Oct 20, 2020 by Jenny McGruther · This post contains affiliate links.

Spicy Korean Seafood and Vegetable Stew

Name: Spicy Korean Seafood and Vegetable Stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons lard (); 1 white onion ((sliced thin)); 2 Thai chilis; 5 green onions ((finely chopped, whites and greens separated)); 3/4 tablespoon ginger paste; 2 tablespoons garlic; 6 cups fish stock (); 1 tablespoon gochugaru (); 1 tablespoon gochujang (); 3 tablespoons fish sauce (); 1 teaspoon honey; finely ground real salt ((as needed)); 2 small young white radishes ((sliced 1/4-inch thick)); 3 shiitake mushrooms ((sliced 1/4-inch thick)); 1 carrots ((sliced 1/4-inch thick)); 1 cup enoki mushrooms; 4 small tatsoi; 1 cup watercress; 1 pound cod; 1 pound shrimp; 1 pound clams; fresh mung bean sprouts; Thai chili; steamed rice

Korean soups and stews are some of my favorite dishes to eat. Like last meal favorite. I used to frequent local restaurants for my fix, but as I became more concerned with the quality of my food and discovered just how bad all the nasties in restaurant food were (MSG, rancid vegetable oils), I set out to learn how to create my own. I hope this recipe satisfies the cravings for fellow Korean soup addicts.

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Korean Seafood and Vegetable Stew #nourishedkitchen

One of the many reasons I love this dish is because I can enjoy it year round. In the winter and fall, it is comforting and medicinal. In the spring and summer, it replenishes lost minerals. For that reason, this soup is very versatile - no matter the season, you can find vegetables that work. It also works well as an "empty the fridge" soup for any vegetables that haven't gotten used up during the course of the week. (If you participate in CSA or farm share programs, you know exactly what I mean.)

What's in it?

There are just a few must haves and unfortunately no good substitutions. So get out there and find an Asian grocery store, and for those of you who don't live near a good Asian grocer, you can typically order them online.

Korean red pepper paste (gochujang) - This is a spicy, savory, fermented product that should ideally only have 3 ingredients: red peppers, rice and salt. Today lots of companies add high fructose corn syrup, maltose, wheat, MSG and other stuff we don't want. Look for a paste in a glass container and check the ingredients. Some Asian grocery stores have their own homemade versions sold in the refrigerated section that can work.

When you get your paste, take a tiny taste of it, as different brands have different heat levels. The heat level can even vary within brands at certain times of year. Tasting it before you cook with it will allow you to adjust the heat levels of your final dish. You can find Korean red pepper paste here.

Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) - Look for a brand made in Korea and store it in the freezer between uses. Please avoid the temptation to replace gochugaru with cayenne powder, Mexican chile powders or even Thai chile powder. They are all very different flavors and aren't interchangeable in this recipe. You can find Korean red pepper flakes here.

Fish sauce - I'm sure most of you know this ingredient very well. It's a staple of Southeast Asian cooking. You should look for a brand that has simple ingredients. Anchovy, salt and sugar are the most a fish sauce should have. The small amount of sugar in the Thai fish sauce is of no concern since it's fermented, so the live culture gobbles most of that up. You can find good quality traditionally fermented fish sauce here.

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