That Dish Lim Won-hee Ate on “My Little Old Boy”?! Recipes for Seasonal Spring Spicy Raw Ganjaemi Salad and Steamed Ganjaemi

If there is one seafood delicacy you must try between winter and spring, it is ganjaemi. In season from February through June, ganjaemi is a term commonly used for the rays known in Korean as sangeo-gaori and norang-gaori. It resembles skate in appearance but is a different kind of fish. When ganjaemi comes into season, many people seek out restaurants serving spicy raw ganjaemi salad and steamed ganjaemi, but restaurant-quality dishes are also easy to make at home. Here are recipes for ganjaemi dishes that have appeared on TV shows such as “My Little Old Boy” and “The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge.”

How to Make Steamed Semi-Dried Ganjaemi

Here is a recipe for spicy steamed ganjaemi, which makes both a great dinner side dish and an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks.

Ingredients: 1 semi-dried ganjaemi, 600 ml water for steaming, 3 tbsp cheongju, 5 stalks green onion, 1/4 onion, 1/2 knob ginger, sliced

Sauce: 2 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp fine red pepper powder, 1 tbsp coarse red pepper powder, 2 tbsp minced onion, 2 tbsp minced red chili pepper, minced green parts of green onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp whole sesame seeds

1. First, soak the semi-dried ganjaemi in cold water for 10 minutes, drain it in a colander, and score it with a knife.

2. Cut the green parts of the 5 green onion stalks in half. Julienne the onion. Slice the ginger, or use minced ginger if sliced ginger is unavailable.

3. Pour 600 ml of water into a steamer and bring it to a rolling boil. Once steam begins to rise, add 2–3 tbsp of cheongju. Soju or beer may be used instead.

4. Add the green onion leaves, onion, and ginger, then place the semi-dried ganjaemi on top. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.

5. Make the sauce and spread it over the ganjaemi to finish.

How to Make Spicy and Tangy Raw Ganjaemi Salad

Here is a super-simple recipe for spicy raw ganjaemi salad, a spring delicacy.

Ingredients: raw ganjaemi, minari, cucumber, onion, Cheongyang chili pepper, carrot. Sauce: gochujang, maesil syrup, lemon juice

1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly, then finely julienne them.

2. Place the sliced raw ganjaemi over the vegetables, add the sauce, and mix well to finish.

[FAM Times=Reporter Ahn Si-jeong]