How to Remove the Fishy Smell of Dried Bracken: The Key is One Spoon of Flour Before Boiling

When making bracken namul, one of the holiday foods, many people worry about its unique fishy taste. According to the Kim Dae-seok Chef TV video, using flour before boiling the dried bracken can effectively catch the fishy smell, and going through a process of steaming it with water during the cooking process can complete an even chewier and softer texture.

Flour usage and boiling steps to completely eliminate the fishy smell

If you soak 100g of dried bracken for a day, it becomes about 650g in weight. In the video, the use of flour is suggested as the first step to remove the fishy taste of the soaked bracken. If you add 1 spoon of flour to the soaked bracken and rub it thoroughly, the adsorption power of the flour plays the role of catching the unique fishy smell of the bracken.

Put the bracken tossed with flour into a pot and boil it for 5 minutes over high heat. After boiling, rinse it in cold water to leave it in a clean state without worrying about the fishy smell. Afterward, cut the bracken into thick, bite-sized pieces and prepare it.

Recipe for chewy bracken namul where the seasoning does not separate

To enhance the flavor of bracken namul, the pre-seasoning process before stir-frying is important. Put the sliced bracken in a pan and first mix it with 1 heaped spoon of minced garlic, 3 spoons of soup soy sauce, 1 spoon of tuna liquid, and 1 spoon of sesame oil. You must pre-season like this so that the seasoning does not separate later. Caution is needed because if you add cooking oil and stir-fry immediately, the taste may become greasy.

Put the seasoned bracken in the pan and stir-fry for about 3 minutes over high heat, then proceed with the 'adding water' process, which is the key step to making the bracken soft. Pour 1 and a half cups (300mL) of water and steam it for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Afterward, add 2 spoons of perilla seed powder and chopped green onions, and steam for another 3 minutes over medium heat to make the bracken chewy and soft. Finally, finish it off by drizzling 1 spoon of perilla oil and 1 spoon of sesame seeds.

Summary: 3 points that determine the taste of bracken namul

First, remove the fishy smell with 1 spoon of flour before boiling. Second, pre-season with soup soy sauce, tuna liquid, etc., before stir-frying so that the seasoning is well absorbed. Third, achieve a chewy texture through the process of adding 300mL of water and steaming with the lid closed.