Haemul Jjigae (Korean Spicy Seafood Stew)
A bubbling, fiery seafood stew loaded with prawns, mussels and squid in a gochujang-spiked broth — the ultimate warm-you-up Korean dinner.
Instructions
- Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot or clay pot.
- Whisk in gochujang and gochugaru until dissolved.
- Add onion and garlic, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini and tofu, simmering for a further 5 minutes.
- Add mussels first and cook for 2 minutes, then add prawns and squid.
- Simmer for 4–5 minutes until seafood is just cooked through and mussels have opened (discard any that don't open).
- Scatter with spring onion and serve bubbling hot with steamed rice.
About this dish
Haemul Jjigae is Korea's love letter to the ocean — a communal pot of seafood simmered in a broth built on gochugaru and gochujang, with just enough anchovy stock underneath to round out the heat with savoury depth.
This is a genuinely flexible stew — use whatever seafood looks best that day. Prawns, mussels, squid and clams are the classic combination, but it's just as good with a simpler mix if that's what's available.
Serve it bubbling hot, straight from the pot if you have an earthenware ttukbaegi, with a bowl of steamed rice on the side to soak up the broth.
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