Spicy Pollock Roe Stew (Al Tang or Al Jjigae)

Ingredients

Anchovy Stock

• 4 1/2 cup water
• 15 g dried anchovies (for soups) (Gukmul Myeolchi 국물용 멸치 15 g = 1/3 cup)
• 1 piece dried kelp (aka Kombu)

Stew Ingredients

• 1 lb pollock roe (Myeongtae Al 명태알)
• 4 oz pollock or cod milt (Iri 이리)
• 1 cup Korean radish or Daikon (cut into thick squares)
• 1/2 each onion (cut into squares)
• 1 cup zucchini (sliced)
• 7 oz extra firm tofu (7 oz = 1/2 pack)
• 2 each green onions (sliced)
• 1 each red chili pepper (sliced)
• 3 each garlic cloves (sliced)

Seasoning Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean Red Chili paste)
• 1 Tbsp Korean Red Chili powder
• 1 Tbsp Guk Ganjang (Korean Soup Soy Sauce)
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Sake
• 1 tsp garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger (chopped)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Defrost pollock roe and milt if they are frozen. It doesn’t have to be completely thawed and you can still cut the milt pretty easily even when it’s partly frozen. You can either leave the milt in big pieces or rough chop like I did here.
2. It’s up to you. I find that chopping it up is better if you have some people who could be a little put off by the looks of it.
3. Anchovy Stock : Add a handful of dried anchovies (large ones for soup 국물용 멸치 Gukmulyong Myeolchi) and a piece of kelp to a pot of water. Simmer (do not boil) for 30 min. Remove kelp and anchovies. Set aside until you are ready to make the stew. See my Tips page for more details on how to make anchovy stock.
4. Prepare vegetables: Peel and cut radish into squares, cut zucchini, onions, green onions, tofu, red chili pepper (optional) and garlic (2-3 cloves) as in the picture. Also chop garlic and ginger finely.
5. Make seasoning sauce: in a small bowl, add gochujang, gochukaru (red chili powder), guk ganjang (soup soy sauce), sake, ginger, garlic, garlic powder and salt.
6. Put it all together : Bring anchovy stock to a boil on medium high heat from 1 (with anchovies and kelp discarded). Add paste from 4 to stock. Stir.
7. Add onions and radish to pot. Wait until it starts to boil. 3-4 minutes.
8. Then add the milt and roe. Let it cook for 5-6 minutes or so or until the roe sack starts to look cooked (solid vs translucent color).
9. OPTIONALLY cut roe into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to simmer (so you can see..haha) and then take out each roe sack and cut them into 2-3 pieces with scissors. See in pic #3, how it is still raw in the middle but cutting the roe when they are partially cooked on the outside prevents the individual eggs from pouring out onto the stew. You can bypass this step and just leave the roe whole and let your guests cut it as they eat it.
10. Raise the heat back up to medium high. Add all vegetables and tofu except for chili and garlic. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until zucchini is cooked. Add fresh green onions, red chili and garlic at the end right before turning the heat off. Garnish with some fresh aromatic veggies like ssukat or minari to add brightness to the stew.
11. Serve with some rice, some vegetable banchan and you should be good!
12. Thaw pollock roe and milt if frozen. It doesn’t have to be completely thawed and you can still cut the milt pretty easily even when it’s partly frozen. You can either leave the milt in big pieces or rough chop like I did here. It’s up to you. I find that chopping it up is better if you have some people who could be a little put off by the looks of it.

Make Anchovy Stock

1. Add a handful of dried anchovies (large ones for soup 국물용 멸치 Gukmulyong Myeolchi) and a piece of kelp to a pot of water. Simmer (do not boil) for 20 min. Remove kelp and anchovies. Set aside until you are ready to make the stew.

Prepare Vegetables

1. Cut radish, zucchini, onions, green onions, tofu, red chili pepper (optional), garlic (2-3 cloves). Also chop fine - garlic and ginger.

Put it altogether!

1. Bring anchovy stock to a boil on medium high heat (with anchovies and kelp discarded). Add seasoning sauce to stock and stir.
2. Add onions and radish to pot. Wait until it starts to boil, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Then add the milt and roe. Let it cook for 5-6 minutes or so or until the roe sack looks cooked (solid vs translucent color).
4. OPTIONALLY cut roe into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to simmer (so you can see..haha) and then take out each roe sack and cut them into 2-3 pieces with scissors. See how it is still raw in the middle but cutting the roe when they are partially cooked on the outside prevents the individual eggs from pouring out onto the stew. You can bypass this step and just leave the roe whole and let your guests cut it as they eat it.
5. Raise the heat back up to medium high. Add all vegetables and tofu. Top it off with garlic and chilis. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until zucchini is cooked. Top it off with some fresh aromatic veggies like ssukat or minari if you have some. I didn’t so I just added some fresh green onions at the end right before serving.