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Korean mackerel he with carrots

Korean-Style Mackerel Hoe with Carrots

Unusual, spicy, and zesty — made from everyday ingredients! Korean-style mackerel hoe with carrots is one of the most popular dishes in Korea. "Hoe" translates roughly to "raw marinated fish." This method keeps the fish's valuable, healthful qualities intact while getting rid of its distinctive fishy smell.

hallen-bunny

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Mackerel (two small or one large)

Carrots

Onion (large)

Garlic

Vinegar (9%, 2/3 cup)

150

Water (1/3 cup)

Soy sauce

Vegetable oil

Ground coriander

0.5

Sugar

0.5

Paprika (ground)

0.5

Ground black pepper

Salt

Sesame seeds

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 38 % 9 g

Fats 42 % 10 g

Carbohydrates 21 % 5 g

141 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make Korean-style mackerel hoe with carrots? Gather the ingredients. Use either one large fish or two small ones. Thaw the mackerel by moving it from the freezer to the fridge. It's best not to thaw the fish all the way — it's easier to fillet while still partly frozen. Wash and peel the vegetables well. Use 9% distilled white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar if you prefer. A ready-made Korean spice blend works great for the seasonings.
Step 2:

How do you fillet a whole fish? Remove the tail, head, and fins. Cut along the backbone down to the spine. Turn the fish on its side. With a sharp knife, slice the flesh away from the backbone. Flip the fish over and cut the fillet from the other side. Clean out the inside, removing the black membrane, since it's bitter and will spoil the flavor. Pull out the large bones. Rinse the fillets and be sure to pat them thoroughly dry.
Step 3:

Pour the vinegar over the mackerel so the fish is fully submerged. I don't like things too sour, so I cut the vinegar with about one-third water. Cover the mackerel with a second plate and weigh it down (a jar of water works well). Leave the fish to marinate at room temperature for two hours.
Step 4:

Grate the washed and peeled carrots on a Korean-carrot (julienne) grater. If you don't have one, cut them into thin matchsticks with a sharp knife. Salt the carrots lightly and scrunch them with your hands so they release their juice and soften. Transfer the carrots to a deep bowl.
Step 5:

Peel the onion and slice it thinly into half-moons with a sharp knife (or into quarter-moons if the onion is large).
Step 6:

Heat a skillet and pour in the vegetable oil. Add the sliced onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and spices, and stir. I didn't have a Korean-carrot seasoning blend, so I used coriander, paprika, and ground pepper separately. Let the spices bloom in the hot oil for one minute, then take the pan off the heat.
Step 7:

Cut the marinated mackerel into small pieces. After marinating, the fish takes on a cooked texture and falls apart a bit, so slice it very carefully with a sharp knife.
Step 8:

Add the pieces of mackerel fillet to the bowl with the carrots.
Step 9:

Add the still-hot fried onion and spices to the same bowl.
Step 10:

Add the soy sauce.
Step 11:

Gently toss everything together with a wooden or silicone spatula. Let the Korean-style mackerel hoe with carrots rest for 3–4 hours, or better yet overnight in the fridge. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Since everyone's tolerance for saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, spice, sourness, and heat is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste! And if you're using a seasoning for the first time, remember that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for example).
If you use a ready-made spice blend, be sure to check the ingredients on the label. These blends often already contain salt, so keep that in mind or you risk over-salting the dish.
Keep in mind that soy sauce is quite salty. Cut back on the total amount of salt, or you risk over-salting the dish.