The reason why soaking dried pollack for 30 minutes in a plastic bag makes the seasoning soak in perfectly

During holidays or ancestral rites, you can make wonderful dishes using leftover dried pollack. According to a Cookpia video, instead of simply soaking dried pollack in water, using a plastic bag allows the seasoning to penetrate deep inside, enabling you to enjoy a much softer texture.

The 'Plastic Bag Soaking' and preparation method to enhance dried pollack texture

The most important process in dishes using dried pollack is making the state of the pollack soft. The video suggests a method where, after soaking the dried pollack in water, you should not squeeze out the moisture immediately but instead put it in a plastic bag and leave it as is for 30 minutes. This is because if you squeeze the moisture out tightly, the texture may become dry and stiff when seasoning is applied. The moisture must soak moistly into the flesh of the pollack inside the plastic bag to bring out a soft taste when braising or grilling.

You can also check how to use the byproducts generated during the preparation process. Do not throw away the head and tail parts of the pollack; instead, store them frozen in a dry state and use them later to add umami when making broth. However, when using it for grilling, the dorsal fin should be removed in advance to prevent the pollack from splitting during cooking.

Using the seasoning sauce and the cooking order of applying sesame oil

The seasoning sauce is made by mixing kelp infusion as a base with red chili paste, red chili powder, dark soy sauce, plum syrup, ginger syrup, minced garlic, and starch syrup. The key here is the timing of using sesame oil. Instead of mixing sesame oil into the seasoning sauce beforehand, you should apply it over the seasoned dried pollack at the very end to keep the unique aroma of the sesame oil alive and achieve a glossy result.

When cooking, pour cooking oil into a pan, heat it, and then place the seasoned dried pollack on it. If you reduce the heat and grill it gently so the seasoning does not burn, the gloss will come alive as the seasoning reduces. Finally, finish by topping the completed grill with chopped green onions, shredded garlic, and sesame seeds to complete a wonderful seasoned grilled pollack suitable for a holiday table setting.