Bugeoguk

Ingredients

• 1¾ ozDried pollockshredded strips (hwangtae/bugeo), briefly soaked and torn into bite-size pieces
• 7 ozKorean radishthinly sliced into flat pieces, sautéed with the fish
• 1 tbspPerilla oilfor sautéing; one source uses sesame oil instead
• 6 cupsWaterinclude the pollock soaking water
• 2 clovesGarlicfinely minced
• 1Spring onioncut into lengths or diagonal slices, added at the end
• 1½ tbspKorean soup soy saucefor seasoning; one source replaces it fully or partly with tuna fish sauce
• 1Eggbeaten, drizzled over the boiling soup at the end
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste
• 6 ozTofucut into bite-size slices (optional)
• 5¼ ozsoybean sproutsrinsed, cooked towards the end (optional)
• 1Green chilicheongyang chili, sliced diagonally (optional)
• Chili powderonly for a spicier version (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the dried pollock briefly, then soak it in warm water for up to 20 minutes. Squeeze it out gently, save the soaking water, and tear or cut the fish into bite-size pieces.
2. Slice the Korean radish into thin, flat pieces, cut the spring onion into lengths or diagonal slices, mince the garlic finely and, if using, slice the green cheongyang chili on the diagonal.
3. Heat the perilla oil in a pot and sauté the radish and pollock together until the radish is half cooked through.
4. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry briefly, just until fragrant.
5. Pour in the water along with the reserved soaking water, cover, bring to a boil and let it bubble away for about 8 minutes, until the broth turns milky-white.
6. If you like, add the tofu and soybean sprouts now and cook until tender.
7. Season the soup with gukganjang, salt and black pepper.
8. Scatter in the spring onion and, if using, the chili, drizzle the beaten egg over the boiling soup and let it set without stirring. Then turn off the heat.
9. Serve hot, ideally in a tteukbaegi, the earthenware serving bowl, with a pinch of chili powder for extra heat if you want it.

Tips and variations

Instead of radish you can use a potato cut into half-moons and add tofu as well. Sesame oil works in place of perilla oil for the sauté, and if you're after more umami, season with tuna fish sauce instead of gukganjang, or half and half. One trick for a stronger, cloudier white broth: add the water in three batches rather than all at once. With soybean sprouts in the pot you can skip the egg altogether. Serve it hot in a tteukbaegi — straight from the stove to the table.