In the Korean province of South Jeolla, where I come from, no large family gathering happens without this special dish. Now that I live in New York City, I find myself craving it. Luckily, I can always find fermented skate at a Korean grocery store. I bring it home, season it, and eat it, or I let it ferment in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks, which makes it even more flavorful. Fermentation is a kind of cooking, and the texture of this dish is somewhere in the realm between raw and cooked. I’ve experimented a lot to come up with just the right ratio of water to vinegar. If you are developing a passion for authentic Korean food, you will want to add this to your list of recipes to try. You can’t say you are a real Korean food expert until you’ve eaten it, and the best will come from your own kitchen.
Serves 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound fermented skate (hong-eo)
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 pound Korean radishes (mu) or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup mild Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
- ½ cup Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup (ssal-yeot)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Rinse the skate under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice across the grain into 1-x-3-inch pieces.
- Combine 6 cups water and ¼ cup of the vinegar in a large bowl. Add the skate and soak for 1 hour. Drain and squeeze to remove excess water.
- Meanwhile, combine the radishes and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove excess water.
- Combine the hot pepper flakes, hot pepper paste, garlic, scallions, sugar, rice syrup, the remaining ¼ cup vinegar, the sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the radishes and skate and mix again. Transfer to a platter.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
