Jangeo-gui – 장어구이 (Broiled / Grilled Eel)
Jangeo-gui (장어구이) is a great Korean seafood dish using freshwater eel as the main ingredient. This dish can be prepared in various ways which can be boiled and/or grilled to achieve its distinctive tastes & flavors. Some may choose to do both, first broiling the eel then grilling it to achieve the ultimate perfection in texture and color. To prepare the dish, bones are removed from the eel then marinated with a sweet and tangy sauce which includes rice wine, gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes), sesame oil, soy sauce garlic, sugar, and ginger. When cooking, the additional sauce may be consistently brushed onto the fish to add extra flavors & aroma.
This meal is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E and is enjoyed especially during the hot summers to avoid heat exhaustion. It is also believed to be good for stamina.
Fact: Eel has a high content of protein and fat so it can take a long time to fully digest this fish.
And don’t forget, #LifesDelicious, so enjoy it!
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Ingredients
- 1 large/medium sized fresh water eel
- 2 tbsp hot pepper paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp sesame salt
- 1 tbsp ginger juice
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp starch syrup
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp gochugaru
- Skewers (wooden or metal)
Instructions
COOKING DIRECTIONS: BROILING
1. Mix all ingredients other than the fish into a saucepan and cook.
2. Once the sauce thickens, set aside and let it cool, ready to be brushed onto the eel.
3. Place eel on chopping board and remove the head.
4. Insert a knife through the belly side of the eel and open its abdomen and spread it wide.
5. Remove tail along with intestines and bones. Freshly rinse the eel in cold water to remove any leftover particles.
6. Vertically cut large eel into 3-4 pieces and small eel into 2 pieces.
7. Insert skewers vertically into the eel to prevent it from curling while cooking.
8. Once the preparation of the eel is complete, apply sauce to marinate.
9. Broil 15-20 minutes until fish is fully cooked. Brush additional sauce while boiling if desired.
COOKING DIRECTIONS: GRILLING
1. Follow steps 1-8 from the directions above.
2. For grilling, marinate fish for 1 hour.
3. Place eel on a grill until fish is cooked.
4. Brush additional sauce while grilling if desired.
Notes
Freshwater eel can be found in most Korean markets, or larger Asian markets. Salmon or beltfish are good substitutes. To keep the eel fillets from curling while cooking, thread a skewer through each fillet lengthwise.