Ganjang Gejang (Raw Crabs Marinated in Soy Sauce)
User Reviews
4.6
Ganjang Gejang (Raw Crabs Marinated in Soy Sauce)
Description
This Korean dish uses about five medium fresh blue crabs cleaned and prepared to absorb a rich marinade. The brine is made by boiling soy sauce, rice wine or mirin, water, sugar, onion, garlic cloves, ginger slices, dried kelp, apple or Asian pear slices, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and dried red chili peppers. After boiling and straining, the brine cools before use. The crabs are placed in an airtight container with slices of fresh chili peppers, onion, and lemon, then covered fully with brine and weighed down to ensure complete submersion.
The crabs soak in the refrigerator for two to three days until ready to eat, when the shells are removed and the body halved to access the flavorful meat. The dish offers a balance of salty, sweet, and spicy notes, with a tender but fresh texture reflective of its raw marination. Overly long marination may lead to excessive saltiness and textural softening.
Leftover brine can be re-boiled and saved for seasoning other dishes, and unused crabs freeze well with some brine for later use. Freshness of crabs and precise timing are important to maintain optimal flavor and texture for this traditional preparation.
Ingredients
- 5 blue crab about 2 pounds, or kkotge, medium fresh
For the brine:
- 2 cups soy sauce
- 1/2 cup rice wine or mirin
- 6 cups water
- 3 tablespoons sugar adjust to taste
- 1/2 onion roughly sliced, medium
- 5 - 6 garlic plump cloves
- 3 - 4 ginger about 1-inch round, thin slices
- 1 piece dried kelp dashima (about 5-inch square)
- 1 apple roughly sliced (or 1/2 small Korean/Asian pear, if in season, small size
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns whole
- 2 to 3 dried whole red chili pepper small
For the garnish:
- 2 - 3 green chili pepper thinly sliced
- 2 - 3 red chili pepper thinly sliced
- onion a few thin slices
- 3 lemon thin slices
Instructions
- Put the live crabs in the freezer for an hour or two (longer is fine as well), unless you are comfortable with handling live crabs.
- Meanwhile, bring all the marinade ingredients to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, and continue to boil, covered, for about 20 minutes. Remove the kelp after about 10 minutes of boiling. Strain the brine. Discard the fruit and vegetables. Cool completely, and then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Clean each crab thoroughly with a kitchen brush. Drain well in a colander in the fridge.
- Place the crabs in an airtight container or jar. Add the chili pepper, onion and lemon slices. Pour the brine over the crabs. Make sure all the crabs are submerged. Weigh them down, if necessary, with a small bowl or plate that fits inside the container. Refrigerate.
- After one day, strain the brine into a pot (and put the crabs back in the fridge). Bring the brine to a boil over medium heat, and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Wait for the brine to completely cool, and then pour it back over the crabs. You can skip this process, but it enhances the flavor of the brine and helps the crabs to last longer.
Notes
- Crabs are ready to eat after 2–3 days marination; separate top shell and halve the body for serving.
- Use a crab or nutcracker to access claw meat efficiently.
- Do not marinate for more than 3–4 days to avoid excessive saltiness and meat degradation.
- Leftover crabs freeze well with some brine; thaw refrigerated before serving.
- Reboil and cool leftover brine to reuse as marinate or dipping sauce for meats.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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