Grilled cutlassfish

Taste and texture

Galchigui is long, flat cutlassfish cleaned, salted and cooked in a pan or on a grate. Unlike fish simmered in spicy braising sauce, it centers on salt seasoning, browned aroma and the fish itself. Portions of the silvery fish are served as a rice accompaniment, with the flesh separated from the bones. It is a plate of grilled fish rather than a bowl of broth.

Cutlassfish has a laterally flat body, so its broad sides remain visible in cut portions. The head, tail and innards are removed before the body is divided. Flesh lies along a central bone, with smaller bones near the fins. Browning does not remove those bones; eating involves separating the flesh while attending to the structure inside the portion.

Salt is applied before cooking. One approach sprinkles it over the fish; another uses brine. Bapsimeun Gungnyeok's recipe uses salt water to reduce unevenly concentrated seasoning. Amount and method affect the saltiness, even among simple salt-grilled versions. Fish can already be seasoned despite having no visible red sauce.

The salted fish is drained before grilling. Pan recipes may blot away remaining moisture with paper towel. The aim is to form a browned surface in an oiled pan, rather than simmering water-laden fish. Some recipes also score the skin, leaving small cuts across the silvery surface of the portion.

The Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal's recipe oils a heated grate and grills both sides of the salted fish. In a pan the broad sides contact the base; on a grate the pieces sit over the oiled grid. Both methods center on browning the surfaces. Alongside a thick fish such as Spanish mackerel, cutlassfish's flatter portion shape stands out.

Some pan versions lightly coat the fish in flour. Excess flour is shaken off rather than forming a heavy coating. This adds a thin surface layer while keeping the fish central. The ingredients differ slightly from grate versions using only fish, salt and oil, so visually similar servings can contain flour.

Cooking oil can also change the aroma. Some recipes use ordinary cooking oil; Tina Soul Food adds perilla oil for nuttiness. Lemon slices may provide a brighter aromatic accompaniment. Neither perilla oil nor lemon is compulsory; the flavors added to the salted fish change the impression of the plate.

Galchigui combines a crisp thin exterior with moist flesh. A bite containing browned skin emphasizes savory roasted flavor; interior flesh alone feels softer. Separating it along its grain rather than crushing it preserves its shape. Surface and center do not have the same texture within a portion.

Salted flesh acts as a savory accompaniment to white rice. Instead of spooning braising liquid over the rice, you eat the flavor carried by the skin and flesh. The proportion of fish to rice changes the saltiness of a bite. Even when a dipping sauce is provided, the fish is already seasoned and does not depend on sauce for all its flavor.

A light flour coating may make the browned outer layer more noticeable, while an uncoated version emphasizes skin against flesh. Perilla oil introduces its nuttiness among the grilled aromas; lemon gives a brighter note. The same fish can therefore gain different flavors from its surface treatment and accompaniments.

Removing bones is part of eating the dish. The long central bone is not the only area to check; the edges near the fins also need attention. Separating small amounts of tender flesh helps reveal the direction of the bones. The broad, flat flesh comes apart along its grain, but anyone expecting a boneless portion should check how it has been prepared.

How to order it in Korea

1. Look for “galchigui” on the menu and order it separately from “galchi-jorim,” which is braised in sauce.