Chef Geupsikdaega’s recipes always seem to nail the flavor even with the simplest ingredients.
This eomuk bokkeum (stir-fried Korean fish cake) is one of those quick side dishes you can whip up in about 10 minutes using just what’s already in your fridge, and the seasoning soaks into the fish cake so well that it pairs perfectly with a bowl of rice.
If you happen to have fish cake in your fridge, this is a low-effort recipe well worth trying.
Ingredients
- Fish cake (eomuk) – 400g (about 14 oz; Korean fish cake, sold frozen or refrigerated at Korean grocery stores)
- Onion – 1
- Garlic – 1 T (minced)
- Cooking oil – 4 T
- Toasted sesame seeds – to taste (for garnish)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Jin-ganjang – 2 T (Korean soy sauce for cooking; regular soy sauce can be substituted)
- Corn syrup (mulyeot) – 4 T (Korean rice syrup; can substitute with corn syrup or honey)
- Sugar – 1 T
- Chamchi-aek – 0.5 T (Korean tuna-based liquid seasoning sauce; can substitute with fish sauce or a splash of soy sauce)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1Cut the fish cake and onion into bite-sized pieces.
2Mix all the sauce ingredients together to make the seasoning sauce.TipIf the sugar doesn’t dissolve easily, add 1 T of water to make mixing easier.
3Heat about 4 T of cooking oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.
4Once the garlic smells fragrant, add the fish cake and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
5Add the onion and the prepared sauce all at once, then stir-fry quickly over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.TipSimmering the sauce too long can burn it quickly because of the corn syrup, so the key is to stir-fry briefly over medium-high heat.
6Finish by sprinkling toasted sesame seeds on top, and it’s ready to serve.
There aren’t many ingredients, but simply changing the order you stir-fry them in makes a huge difference in the fish cake’s texture and how well the seasoning comes through.
Sautéing the garlic first and then adding the sauce all at once for a quick stir-fry makes this a nearly foolproof method for anyone to follow.
On days when you’re stuck for a side dish idea, this recipe comes together in just 10 minutes, so if you’ve got fish cake in the fridge, it’s definitely worth making.
Ingredients
- Fish cake (eomuk) – 400g (about 14 oz; Korean fish cake, sold frozen or refrigerated at Korean grocery stores)
- Onion – 1
- Garlic – 1 T (minced)
- Cooking oil – 4 T
- Toasted sesame seeds – to taste (for garnish)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Jin-ganjang – 2 T (Korean soy sauce for cooking; regular soy sauce can be substituted)
- Corn syrup (mulyeot) – 4 T (Korean rice syrup; can substitute with corn syrup or honey)
- Sugar – 1 T
- Chamchi-aek – 0.5 T (Korean tuna-based liquid seasoning sauce; can substitute with fish sauce or a splash of soy sauce)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Cut the fish cake and onion into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together to make the seasoning sauce.
Tip.If the sugar doesn't dissolve easily, add 1 T of water to make mixing easier. - Heat about 4 T of cooking oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.
- Once the garlic smells fragrant, add the fish cake and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and the prepared sauce all at once, then stir-fry quickly over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
Tip.Simmering the sauce too long can burn it quickly because of the corn syrup, so the key is to stir-fry briefly over medium-high heat. - Finish by sprinkling toasted sesame seeds on top, and it's ready to serve.
