Thick soybean paste stew with vegetable wraps (Gang-doenjang: 강된장)

English name: Thick soybean paste stew
Other English name(s): Thick soybean paste stew with vegetable wraps, soybean paste stew reduction
Korean name: 강된장
Romanized: Gang-doenjang
Also Romanized as: Gangdoenjang

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 ounces of ground beef
4 ounces of clams (or shrimp), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large potato, peeled, cut into ¼ inch cubes (about 1½ cup)
1 large onion, cut into ¼ inch chunks ((about 1½ cup)
zucchini (about ½ cup), cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 green chili peppers, chopped
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
½ cup Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang)
1 cup water
1 squash blossom (optional), washed and sliced a few times

Gang-doenjang (강된장) is a reduced and thickened fermented soybean paste stew, usually served as a dipping sauce for Korean lettuce wraps (ssam:쌈). It’s earthy, savory, and hearty, and full of fresh chopped vegetables and a bit of meat and/or seafood. The best way to eat it is with some freshly-made multigrain rice and wrapped in fresh, in-season leafy vegetables. It’s considered a summer dish, because that’s when greens are the best, but of course you can have it at any time of year.

The difference between gang-doenjang and doenjang-jjigae is that one word: gang. It means “strong, ” or “thick.” Basically this is doenjang-jjigae except thicker and saltier, so you can use it as a dipping sauce with your rice on a lettuce leaf. Another great way to eat it is to mix 1 or 2 spoonfuls of gang-doenjang with multigrain rice, hot pepper paste (gochujang), some chopped kimchi and sesame oil, for a quick bibimbap.