spicy stir-fried fish cake
eomuk bokkeum - 어묵볶음
A popular lunch-box item for Korean children, stir-fried fish cakes often bring back memories of childhood when served as banchan at the dinner table. We like the simplicity of this recipe, as well as the soy-driven sweetness that caramelizes when it hits hot oil. Mmmmm! Fish cakes are sold both fresh and frozen at your local Asian grocery, where you can find a wide variety of shapes. For good or for bad, you can think of them as the hot dog of the sea, made from ground whitefish. For this dish, it’s important to buy the thin-cut variety, which is best for stir-frying (thicker ones are used primarily in soups).
ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon coarsely ground gochugaru
1 tablespoon Korean rice or corn syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fish cakes, cut into thin strips or diamond shapes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 Korean red chile peppers, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnish
steps
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, gochugaru and rice syrup. This is the sauce.
Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add the oil. Once the pan is lightly smoking, add the fish cakes and stir-fry for 2 minutes, tossing frequently until the fish cakes turn a light shade of brown. Add garlic, onion and chile peppers and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the onions soften. Add the sauce and toss frequently until slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot or let it cool; it’s best served at room temperature. Leftovers will keep up to a week in the fridge.
