Crispy Sweet and Spicy Bugeopo Gangjeong (Crispy Dried Pollock)
A side dish made by soaking dried pollock sheets, coating them in potato starch, pan-frying until crispy, and tossing in a sweet and spicy sauce.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This is a great dish to make using leftover dried pollock from holidays or ancestral rites, tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce just like seasoned fried chicken. Coated in potato starch and pan-fried crispy in generous oil, then tossed in sauce, it makes a wonderful side dish for rice as well as an accompaniment for drinks.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried pollock sheets1 whole
- Potato starch2 tbsp
- Peanut powder
- Toasted sesame seeds
Sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Hot sauce1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Water1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil
- If you do not have hot sauce, you can finely mince Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) and add it instead.
- Soak the dried pollock in cold water for about 5 minutes to soften it. There is no need to soak it for a long time.
- Gently squeeze out the moisture, sprinkle salt evenly all over, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
- Save the trimmed parts and use them later when making broth.
Steps
1. Remove the head, fins, and thick bones from the dried pollock.
Soak the dried pollock in cold water for about 5 minutes to soften it. There is no need to soak it for a long time.
2. Save the trimmed parts and use them later when making broth.
3. Gently squeeze out the moisture, sprinkle salt evenly all over, and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4. Press any remaining water out firmly between your palms, then prick all over with the tip of a knife.
Doing this prevents the dried pollock from curling up from the heat.
5. Cut into bite-size pieces.
6. Add potato starch to the pollock and coat it evenly.
7. You can deep-fry it, or pan-fry it on both sides for a long time in plenty of oil to make it crispy.
8. Drain the excess oil on paper towels.
10
9. Add all the sauce ingredients except toasted sesame oil, simmer briefly, then turn off the heat.
10. Finally, add toasted sesame oil and mix thoroughly with the pollock.
Sprinkle with peanut powder and toasted sesame seeds, then transfer to a plate.
Ppunwife's tips
- Press any remaining water out firmly between your palms, then prick all over with the tip of a knife. Doing this prevents the dried pollock from curling up from the heat.
FAQ
What should I do if I do not have the hot sauce for the sauce?
It is completely fine to finely mince Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) and use it instead of hot sauce.
Is there a trick to keep the dried pollock from curling up too much when cooking?
Pricking the squeezed dried pollock with the tip of a knife will reduce curling when heated.
Should I throw away the leftover head and fins from trimming?
Save them separately; they are very useful to add when making soup or broth.
Does it have to be deep-fried to turn out crispy?
Even without deep-frying, you can achieve a crispy texture by heating plenty of cooking oil in a pan and thoroughly pan-frying both sides.
