Korean Seafood Stew (Haemul-tang) with Spicy Broth

Korean seafood stew, often called haemul-tang, is a simmering pot of fish, shellfish, vegetables, and a savory, chile-seasoned broth served hot with rice. This home-style version uses anchovy-kelp stock for depth and adds the seafood in stages, so each kind cooks through without turning rubbery; ingredients and spice levels vary by region and household.

Ingredients

6 cups (1.4 L) cold water
8 large dried anchovies, heads and guts removed (about 20 g); or use 6 cups (1.4 L) unsalted seafood stock instead
1 piece dried kombu, about 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10 cm; about 10 g)
1 tablespoon (6 g) Korean gochugaru, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon (18 g) gochujang
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (9 g) finely chopped garlic
8 ounces (225 g) Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into thin half-moons
1 small yellow onion, about 5 ounces (140 g), cut into wedges
1 small zucchini, about 7 ounces (200 g), cut into half-moons
1 pound (450 g) firm white fish, such as cod, haddock, or pollock, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
1 pound (450 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded, or 12 ounces (340 g) littleneck clams, scrubbed
8 ounces (225 g) peeled, deveined shrimp, medium or large
8 ounces (225 g) cleaned squid, cut into rings, optional
7 ounces (200 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
1 small green chile, thinly sliced, optional
1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil, optional
Cooked short-grain rice, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. If the seafood is frozen, thaw it safely in the refrigerator and drain it well. Rinse the fish, shrimp, squid, and shellfish under cold running water, then pat dry. Scrub mussels and pull away any visible beards; discard cracked mussels and any that remain open when tapped. Keep the seafood refrigerated while you prepare the vegetables and seasoning. Stir the gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, and garlic together in a small bowl.
Make a quick anchovy-kelp broth. Add the water and dried anchovies to a large, wide pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the kombu for the final 5 minutes, then remove it before the broth boils vigorously; prolonged boiling can make kombu broth slick or overly strong. Strain out the anchovies. If using prepared seafood stock, skip this step and warm the stock in the pot instead.
Start the vegetables. Return the broth to the pot and stir in the seasoning mixture. Add the radish and onion, bring the liquid to a steady simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, until the radish is beginning to soften but still holds its shape. Taste the broth. Add a little more gochugaru for heat or a splash of water if it tastes too concentrated; the seafood will add its own briny flavor.
Add the fish and shellfish. Nestle the fish, mussels, and tofu into the simmering broth. Keep the liquid at a gentle, steady simmer rather than a rolling boil, which can break up the fish and make the broth cloudy. Cover the pot and cook for 4 minutes. Arrange the shrimp, squid, and zucchini on top, then cover and cook for another 4 minutes, checking near the end. USDA FSIS gives fish a safe minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C); check the thickest fish piece with a food thermometer. The fish should also be opaque and flake easily, shrimp should be opaque and firm, and squid should turn opaque. Mussels should open; discard any that stay closed after cooking.
Finish and serve. Stir gently around the seafood so the broth reaches the vegetables without breaking up the fish. Add the scallions and sliced chile, if using, and turn off the heat. Drizzle in sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately at the table, with rice in individual bowls or on the side. Take care when ladling from the pot, since the broth and shellfish will be very hot.

Tips

Use seafood that is fresh and cold. Buy shellfish from a reputable seafood counter, keep it chilled, and cook it promptly. Avoid seafood with an unpleasant, strong odor. If using frozen seafood, thaw it in the refrigerator rather than on the counter, and drain it before it goes into the stew so it does not water down the broth.
Keep the pot at a simmer. A hard boil can cause delicate fish to fall apart and can make shrimp and squid tough. Add seafood in stages as directed, and start checking for doneness at the stated times because the size of the pieces and the heat of the burner can change how quickly they cook.
Adjust salt and heat at the end. Gochujang, fish sauce, and shellfish all contribute salt, while gochugaru varies in heat. Taste the broth before adding extra soy sauce or fish sauce. If it is too hot, add a little more unsalted broth or water; adding extra chile paste will make it saltier as well as hotter.
Choose practical substitutes. Korean radish has a crisp texture and a mild, clean flavor; daikon is a close substitute. If gochugaru is unavailable, use a smaller amount of crushed red pepper, knowing the stew will lose some of its fruity Korean chile flavor. For an anchovy-free broth, use unsalted seafood stock or vegetable stock, which gives a less distinctly Korean, less ocean-savory base.

Serving Suggestions

Set the pot on a heat-safe trivet and serve the stew as soon as the seafood is cooked. Offer warm short-grain rice to soak up the broth, plus small side dishes such as kimchi, seasoned spinach, or crisp sliced cucumber. A bowl of rice can be served separately, or diners can spoon broth and seafood over it. Provide a shell bowl and small seafood forks if the mussels are served in their shells. Because the broth is seasoned and spicy, keep extra soy sauce and salt off the table until everyone has tasted it.

Variations

Haemul-tang is flexible, and the seafood mix is often determined by the catch and what is available. Replace the mussels with scrubbed clams, add a few crab sections, or use more shrimp in place of squid. Keep the total seafood amount close to the recipe so the liquid stays balanced. For a milder pot, reduce the gochugaru to 1 teaspoon (2 g) and omit the green chile; the broth will still be savory but noticeably less fiery. For a deeper chile flavor, add another teaspoon of gochugaru rather than a large extra spoonful of gochujang, which also increases the salt and sweetness.

You can add napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, or Korean rice cakes along with the zucchini. Cut vegetables into pieces that cook in a few minutes, and add rice cakes earlier if their package directions call for more simmering. For a simpler stew, leave out the squid and use only fish, shrimp, and mussels. If you prefer a clearer, less spicy broth, reduce the gochujang and gochugaru, then season carefully with a little soy sauce. These are useful variations rather than strict rules; the balance of seafood, vegetables, and chile differs from one household recipe to another.

Storage and Reheating

For food safety, refrigerate the stew within 2 hours of cooking, transferring it to shallow, covered containers so it cools promptly. Keep it refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The seafood is best in texture on the day it is cooked; fish and squid can become firmer after storage and reheating. If you expect leftovers, consider setting aside a portion of broth and vegetables before adding all the seafood, then cook only the amount of seafood you plan to eat.

Reheat leftovers in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring gently and heating until the entire portion reaches 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. Avoid repeatedly bringing the stew to a boil, which can make the seafood tough. A microwave also works: use a microwave-safe covered container, pause to stir, and check the temperature in several places. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months for best quality, though the texture of seafood may soften after thawing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C); do not leave the stew at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does haemul-tang mean?
Haemul means seafood, and tang refers to a soup or stew. Haemul-tang is a Korean seafood soup-stew, usually served hot with a broth that can range from mild and clear to spicy. The seafood selection and exact seasoning vary, so this recipe is one practical home version rather than a single definitive formula.

Can I make Korean seafood stew less spicy?
Yes. Start with 1 teaspoon (2 g) gochugaru and omit the green chile. You can add more chile after tasting the broth, but it is harder to tame a pot that has become too hot. Reducing gochujang also lowers the heat, but it changes the broth’s savory-sweet depth, so keep some if you can tolerate it.

Can I use frozen seafood?
Yes. Thaw it in the refrigerator, drain it well, and pat it dry before cooking. Frozen mixed seafood can work, but pieces may be different sizes and cook at different rates; add larger, slower-cooking items first and check each one for doneness. Follow the package directions if the seafood is already cooked, since it only needs to be heated through.

What can I use instead of dried anchovies and kombu?
Unsalted seafood stock is the easiest substitute for the water, anchovies, and kombu. It gives the stew a dependable savory base but will not taste exactly like a Korean dried-anchovy-and-kelp broth. Vegetable stock works too, though the result is less briny. Taste before adding fish sauce, since prepared stocks may already contain salt.

How do I know when the mussels are cooked?
They should open during cooking and smell fresh and briny. Discard mussels with broken shells before cooking, and discard any that remain closed after the stew is cooked. Do not use mussels that smell unpleasant before they go into the pot. Keep them cold before cooking, and do not leave the finished stew at room temperature beyond 2 hours.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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