The temperature is dropping here in Victoria, just as crocuses, snowdrops and daffodil buds are sprouting all over the garden. Spring seems just out of reach, and the emergent landscapes of greenery are seldom enjoyed, save from the other side of a window pane.
I find comfort, instead, in the warmth of my kitchen, in solitude or with company, where the miracles of life and of transformation can be enjoyed without frozen toes and a runny nose. If you are also feeling the weight of the winter blues, I have the ultimate comfort food for you today! A rich and comforting stew made from Korean fermented soybean paste, Doenjang jjigae is the ideal dish to warm you up on a cold day.
But first, I want to introduce you to one of my favourite pieces of cookware.
Dukkbaegi (뚝배기)
Meet ddukbaegi (뚝배기), the versatile, easy-to-maintain stove-to-table earthenware pot! I bought it on a whim at the Korean Food Market in Victoria, for roughly CAN$16. I wanted a pot in which to make hot pots, and at the price, I thought I didn’t have much to lose.
Ddukkaegi is one of two stove-to-table pots used extensively in Korean cuisine (the other is the stone pot used to make bibimbap, called dolsot). Because it is made of ceramic, ddukbaegi takes longer to warm up than a steel pot, but it heats very evenly and retains that heat for a long time. This makes it ideal for quick one-pot meals for all those solitary cooks out there. Because it is glazed, ddukbaegi are also very easy to maintain. It doesn’t need to be seasoned prior to use, and washes easily.
I use mine to make all kinds of soups, stews and hot pots, or even as serving bowl when I want my dish to stay warm for a long time. The one I bought is the ideal size to feed my entire household (of one!), but they also come in larger sizes if your household happens to be little more populated than mine.
The best part is of course, the price tag. I’d been lusting after a high-quality dutch oven for a while, but between my ddukbaegi and the Instant Pot, I have happily let go of my dream to own Le Creuset (although I now harbour dreams of owning other traditional earthenware cookery from around the world!)
Now back to our dish…
Traditional preparations of doenjang jjigae usually use a combination of beef, tofu or sometimes shellfish as their main protein source. One day, however (probably a cold February day like today!), I wanted to make doenjang stew and had no fresh protein on hand, so I dumped in a can of sardines instead.
I liked it so much that I’ve made it this way ever since. The addition of canned fish also makes this recipe ideal for even the busiest of workdays, when the thought of slicing a tomato from stem to tip is enough to make you vaguely nauseous. Okay, there is a bit of slicing involved, but it can all be done in the time it takes for your ddukbaegi to come to a simmer!
I also made this version nightshade-free (no potatoes or pepper) and added a few egg yolks (as I am wont to do) to make the doenjang broth extra rich and creamy! Enjoy.
This is the brand of doenjang that I use. It doesn’t contain gluten or additives. To learn more about doenjang, check out this post.
I found these mushrooms at the store. They were mysteriously called ‘seafood mushrooms’, but I’m pretty sure they’re just oversized enoki mushrooms
Vegetables for doenjang jjigae: leek, seafood/enoki mushrooms, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, grey squash and the ever-important garlic
Joëlle
A rich and comforting stew made from Korean fermented soybean paste, Doenjang jjigae is the ideal dish to warm up on a cold day. This version is nightshade- and gluten-free, and uses egg yolks to make the broth extra creamy.
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp doenjang
- 1 cup dashi or water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small leek, sliced in 1 cm thick rounds
- 1 baby bok choy
- 1/3 Korean squash, grey squash or zucchini, cubed
- 3 shiitake, fresh
- 1/2 pack seafood/enoki mushrooms
- 1 can sardines in water
- 1 Scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prepare all your ingredients first. Although If you are using a ddukbaegi, you can cut all your vegetables in the time it takes for it to warm up
- Separate your egg yolks from the whites and put them in a small bowl with the doenjang.
- Add dashi and garlic to a pot, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Add leeks and shiitake to the pot. Wait a few minutes, then add the squash/zucchini and enoki/seafood mushrooms. Wait a few more minutes, then add the sardines and bok choy.
- Cook one minute more with the lid on, then remove from heat. Using a ladle, transfer a bit of warm stock to the small bowl with the egg yolks and doenjang. Mix with a fork until you have a uniform paste, and pour it back into your pot and gently mix it in.
- Garnish with scallion slices and serve. If using a ddukbaegi, use a towel to carry it from the stovetop to the table, and make sure to place a trivet underneath. 잘 먹겠습니다!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
