Sweet and Spicy Dongtaepo Gangjeong (Crispy Pollock Bites)
A fish gangjeong dish made by pan-frying squeezed pollock fillets until golden and tossing them 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 one-dish meal turns leftover pollock fillets from holidays or ancestral rites into crispy bites tossed in a sweet and spicy glaze. Pan-frying them generously in oil mimics deep-frying for an easy, light crunch. It works wonderfully as a side dish for rice, packed lunch boxes, or as a bar snack.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Pollock fillets250 g
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2 tbsp each (minced)
- Onion2 tbsp each (minced)
- Large green onion (daepa)2 tbsp each (minced)
- Potato starch (or flour)as needed
Marinade
- Salta little of each
- Ground black peppera little of each
Sauce
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)0.5 tbsp
- Ketchup1 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce (or regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Minced garlic0.5 tbsp
- Water2 tbsp
- Ginger powdera little of each
- Ground black peppera little of each
- Toasted sesame oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Squeeze out any moisture released as the frozen pollock fillets thaw by pressing firmly between both palms.
- You can also try this with cod fillets, Spanish mackerel, or regular mackerel.
- If you do not like spicy food, leave out the chili peppers; for a simpler version, you can skip the vegetables and just toss the fish in the sauce.
Steps
1. Use pollock fillets. I bought uncut fillets and sliced them diagonally into bite-sized pieces.
Squeeze out any moisture released as the frozen pollock fillets thaw by pressing firmly between both palms.
2. Lightly sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper to season.
You can also try this with cod fillets, Spanish mackerel, or regular mackerel.
3. Here are the seasoned pollock fillets, along with a little finely minced Cheongyang chili pepper, onion, and large green onion.
If you do not like spicy food, leave out the chili peppers; for a simpler version, you can skip the vegetables and just toss the fish in the sauce.
4. Coat the pollock fillets evenly with potato starch or flour, then shake off any excess.
5. Add a generous amount of oil to a heated pan and pan-fry the pollock fillets as if shallow-frying.
Of course, deep-frying in oil is fine too, but this pan-frying method turns them plenty crispy.
6. Fry over medium heat on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
7. Drain on a strainer to remove excess oil...
8. Add all the sauce ingredients (except the toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds) and bring them to a rolling boil...
10
9. Add the Cheongyang chili pepper and onion and simmer briefly...
10. Turn off the heat, add the pollock, large green onion, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds, and toss everything together.
Ppunwife's tips
- Add a generous amount of oil to a heated pan and pan-fry the pollock fillets as if shallow-frying. Of course, deep-frying in oil is fine too, but this pan-frying method turns them plenty crispy.
- If you fry dried pollack shreds or chicken breast and toss them in this sauce, it becomes bugeo-po gangjeong or dakgangjeong.
- It is also delicious tossed in teriyaki sauce or sweet and sour sauce, which kids will love.
FAQ
Can I make this with other types of fish instead of pollock fillets?
Yes, you can also use fillets from other fish such as cod, Spanish mackerel, or regular mackerel.
This might be too spicy for kids. How can I make it milder?
You can omit the Cheongyang chili peppers, or toss the fish in teriyaki sauce or sweet and sour sauce instead of the gochujang glaze so kids can enjoy it too.
What is an important tip when prepping the pollock fillets before frying?
It is important to firmly squeeze out any liquid released from the thawed pollock fillets using both palms.
What can I coat the fish with if I do not have potato starch?
You can use regular flour instead of potato starch, coating evenly and lightly dusting off the excess before frying.
