Agujjim

A ferociously spicy braised stew of monkfish, bean sprouts, and water parsley in a vivid gochugaru sauce.

Agujjim has one of the more dramatic origin stories in Korean cuisine: the monkfish (agu) was historically considered so ugly and uncanny-looking that fishermen threw them back, and the dish only rose to prominence in the 1960s when a Masan restaurateur reportedly improvised a braised dish with the unwanted fish and created a minor sensation. Today, Masan and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province are pilgrimage destinations for agujjim, and the dish has spread nationwide as a beloved late-night restaurant staple. The stew is characterised by an almost shocking level of spice — gochugaru and gochujang combine in a sauce thick enough to cling to the fish chunks, whose own gelatinous texture (monkfish has little muscle fat but abundant collagen in its skin and joints) provides a counterpoint to the fire. Bean sprouts and water parsley (minari) are piled generously into the pot and cooked just until wilted, their crisp, refreshing flavour doing some work to moderate the heat. The roe sac, if present, is considered a delicacy. Agujjim is quintessential anju — food made to be eaten with soju — and it always arrives at the table with a theatrical hiss from the still-sizzling pot.