Doenjang Jjigae

Ingredients

• 4 tbspKorean soybean pastedissolve in a little warm broth or press through a sieve; saltiness varies by brand
• 4¼ cupsWaterfor the broth or as cooking liquid
• 12Dried anchoviesfor the base broth; remove head and innards
• 1dried kelpabout 10x10 cm, for the base broth, remove after simmering
• 14⅛ ozTofufirm to medium-firm, cubed or thickly sliced, added at the end
• 1Zucchinicut into half-moons or bite-size pieces
• 1Oniondiced or sliced
• 1Potatocut small, goes into the pot first
• 5¼ ozKorean radishdaikon works as a substitute, thinly cut, needs longer cooking
• 3 clovesGarlicfinely minced
• 2Scallionsliced, added at the very end so it keeps bite
• 2fresh chilisliced, for heat and colour
• 5¼ ozMushroomsbutton, oyster, shimeji or enoki mushrooms
• 1 tspGochugarufor colour and mild heat (optional)
• 7 ozporkpreferably fatty, thinly sliced, simmered along or sautéed first (optional)
• 7 ozSeafoodclams, squid, shrimp; soak clams beforehand (optional)
• 1 tbspGochujangstirred in alongside the soybean paste (optional)
• 1 tspVinegarstirred in shortly before serving (optional)
• 8¾ ozRiceserved alongside; the rinsing water can be used as cloudy cooking liquid (optional)

Method

1. Pull the heads and innards off the dried anchovies, then bring them to a boil in the water together with the piece of dried kelp. Let the broth steep for 15 to 20 minutes, then lift out the anchovies and kelp and discard them.
2. Meanwhile, cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces: potato and Korean radish small and thin, zucchini into half-moons, onion into dice or slices, mushrooms into manageable pieces.
3. Cube the tofu or cut it into thick slices, mince the garlic finely, and slice the scallions and chilies into rings.
4. Dissolve the doenjang — along with gochujang and gochugaru if you like — in a little of the warm broth, or press it through a sieve into the pot so no lumps remain.
5. Add the potato and radish, plus the thin slices of pork or beef if you're using them, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the firm vegetables soften.
6. Add the onion, zucchini and mushrooms and let everything simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.
7. In the last 2 to 3 minutes, slip in the tofu, garlic and chili and just let them warm through so the tofu stays intact.
8. Taste and, if it needs more, stir in a little extra doenjang dissolved in broth rather than salt — saltiness varies from brand to brand.
9. Scatter over the scallions so they keep their bite, and serve the stew bubbling hot with rice.

Tips and variations

For a vegetarian version, swap the anchovy broth for an infusion of dried shiitake and kelp; if you want more punch, stir in a spoonful of gochujang as well. Instead of meat, seafood works beautifully — clams, squid or shrimp go in at the end and cook only until the clams open — and some cooks sauté the fatty beef or pork with the paste first. Cloudy rice-rinsing water can stand in for the broth as the cooking liquid, and a teaspoon of vinegar just before serving brings a last lift of freshness. Serve it in a ttukbaegi, the Korean clay pot, with rice and an assortment of kimchi or pickled vegetables; the rice can be spooned into the stew or eaten alongside.