Ureong-doenjang-jjigae (River Snail Soybean Paste Stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Ttukbaegi (Korean earthenware pot) or 2-quart heavy pot
• •Small strainer or slotted spoon
• •Fine-mesh sieve for rinsing snail meat

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the snails

   Rinse the cleaned parboiled ureong-sal under cold running water, then drain it well. If it smells muddy rather than clean and briny, soak it for 5 minutes in cold water with 1 teaspoon salt, rinse again, and drain. Do not boil it now. The snail has already been cooked once, and a second long cooking makes it tough.

2. 2

   Make the broth

   Put the rice-rinse water, kelp, and anchovies in a ttukbaegi or small heavy pot over medium heat. When the liquid reaches a gentle simmer, pull out the kelp before it turns the broth slick and bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then lift them out. Rice-rinse water gives the stew body, but plain water is honest if that is what you have.

3. 3

   Dissolve the paste

   Lower the heat and whisk in the doenjang until no lumps remain. Add the gochugaru if you want a little warmth, not a red stew. Taste the broth before anything else goes in. It should be savory and a little salty, because the vegetables and tofu will soften it, but it should not taste like paste alone.

4. 4

   Cook the vegetables

   Add the garlic, onion, potato, and zucchini. Simmer 7 to 8 minutes, until the potato is just tender at the center and the zucchini still holds its shape. Cut the potato small, 1/2 inch, so it cooks in time without forcing the snails to wait in the pot later. This is one of the corners you do not cut.

5. 5

   Add tofu and snails

   Slide in the tofu and the drained ureong-sal. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, no longer. The snail should be chewy and tender, with a clean bite. If it tightens like rubber, it stayed in too long. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway. Three minutes is the number in my notebook because it protects the ingredient.

6. 6

   Finish the pot

   Scatter in the green chili, red chili if using, and scallion. Simmer 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil only if your doenjang is very sharp and needs rounding. Carry the ttukbaegi straight to the table with rice and one or two plain banchan. This stew is already doing enough.

Chef Tips

• •Buy cleaned parboiled ureong-sal if you can. Live freshwater snails need purging and proper boiling, and I do not recommend guessing with them in a weeknight kitchen.
• •Doenjang changes from tub to tub. Start with 3 tablespoons for 2 1/2 cups liquid, then adjust by 1 teaspoon at the end only if the broth truly needs it. Write that number down.
• •This stew likes restraint. A little gochugaru is fine, but gochujang makes it sweet and muddy. Let the snails, soybean paste, tofu, and vegetables each read clearly.
• •If ureong is not available, use chopped clams or small shrimp and keep the same late timing. It becomes a different stew, but the method still feeds you well.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it, dissolve the doenjang, and the stew becomes quick enough for a tired evening.
• •Cut the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them covered. Keep the snails separate and add them only at the end.
• •Leftovers keep 1 day in the refrigerator, but reheat gently and briefly. The snails toughen each time they boil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 260g)