Air-Fryer Godeungeo-Gui
고등어구이·(godeungeo-gui)
The Always-On Zojirushi: Weeknight Banchan & Bap
In Korea, godeungeo is the ultimate working-class staple. Before modern refrigeration, inland fishmongers cured mackerel with coarse salt right before it spoiled, yielding a deeply umami, tenderized fillet. For immigrant parents, cooking this oily, aromatic fish often meant standing over an outdoor stove in the freezing Midwest to spare the house. Today, the air-fryer reclaims it for the indoor kitchen. The trick is soaking the fish in cloudy rice water to neutralize the odor, then roasting it skin-side up. It is a flawless, blistered crust with zero funky smell, ready for a hot bowl of rice.
Ingredients
- Korean salted mackerel fillets12 oz
- rice wash water2 cup
- neutral oil1 tsp
- lemon1 med
- scallion1 med
Method
- 01
Submerge the mackerel in rice wash water.
When preparing dinner rice, save the cloudy second or third wash and soak the fillets for 15 minutes to draw out the volatile compounds that cause harsh fishy odors.
- 02
Eradicate all surface moisture.
Remove the fish from the water, rinse briefly, and aggressively pat dry with heavy paper towels. If it goes into the air-fryer wet, it will steam instead of roast, ruining the skin.
- 03
Score and oil the skin.
Make three to four shallow, diagonal slashes across the skin of each fillet to prevent curling under the high heat, then lightly brush with neutral oil.
- 04
Roast in the air-fryer.
Line a preheated 400°F air-fryer basket with perforated parchment. Lay the fish skin-side up and cook for 10 to 12 minutes without flipping until the skin is blistered and golden.
- 05
Serve immediately.
Carefully transfer the fillets to a plate and serve alongside steamed short-grain rice, spicy kimchi jjigae, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Notes
Deodorizing the air-fryer.
After cooking, toss the spent lemon wedges into the empty basket and run it at 350°F for three minutes. The citrus oils will completely erase any lingering fish smells.
Adapting fresh mackerel.
If you can only find unsalted fresh mackerel, butterfly it, sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of coarse sea salt over both sides, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before the rice water soak.
From Cook Korean in America.