We made this recipe from Maangchi: https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/maeuntang. Like Maangchi, we used 2.5 lb seabass (bronzino), approx. 2 whole fish, each cut into 4-5 crosswise pieces.
Our modifications: first, to manage the spice level, we reduced the Korean coarsely ground red pepper to 1/4 cup (down from 1/2 cup). The next time, we may increase to 1/3 cup.
Second, we used 1.5 lb of daikon, cutting it into 1/2” thick half-moons.
Third, we disagree with the instructions to cook the fish on medium-high; we found that temperature too high, causing the fish to fall apart. To remain intact, we recommend simmering on low-medium and increasing the cooking time. At the end of cooking, we gently transferred approx half of the stew into a Korean earthenware pot, which we then heated before adding the garnish.
Finally, for the garnish we found chrysanthemum greens at Hmart. At first we found the greens too bitter, but they were fine after wilting in the hot stew. They went well with the slices of hot red pepper.
We served this stew straight out of the earthenware pot at the dining table. We enjoy it with cooked jasmine rice. (Jan. 2026)
Cooking Adventures 