Crispy Kkomak Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Fried Cockles)
A special tangsuyuk dish featuring boiled cockle meat fried until crispy and tossed in a sweet and sour 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 →
Boiled cockle meat is coated in batter, deep-fried until crispy, and tossed in a sweet and sour sauce to finish. Using cockles instead of meat gives you a crispy exterior with a chewy bite inside. It makes a great snack or an accompaniment for drinks.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Cook time
- 10 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cockle meat150 g (1 cup)
- Carrot1/5
- Onion1/4
- Bell pepper1/4
- Cucumber1/4
Batter
- Potato starch1/2 cup
- Water4 tbsp
- Egg white1 (worth)
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Water1 cup
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce (or regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang))1 tsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Sugar1.5 tbsp (1 1/2 tbsp)
- Toasted sesame oila little
- Cooking time is based on using cockle meat that is already prepared.
- Boil the cockles and prepare about 1 cup of just the meat.
Steps
1. Boil the cockles and prepare just the meat. You can prepare about 1 cup.
To see how to clean and boil cockles, go here ⇒ https://blog.naver.com/ppunwife/140208626254
2. Cut the carrot, onion, and bell pepper into 1 cm squares, and slice the cucumber into half-moons.
Feel free to cut them larger if you prefer.
3. Place the cockles in a plastic bag with potato starch or frying mix (twigim-garu) and shake to coat evenly.
4. Mix 1/2 cup potato starch, 4 tbsp water, and 1 egg white's worth to make the batter.
5. Coat the cockles in the batter and deep-fry at 180°C until golden brown.
Frying them once, letting them cool, and frying them again makes them even crispier.
6. Drain the oil on paper towels.
Checking oil temperature with batter
* If batter dropped into the oil sinks to the bottom and barely rises: below 150°C.
* If it sinks to the bottom and rises slowly: 150–160°C.
* If it drops halfway and rises right away: 170–180°C.
* If it scatters across the surface of the oil: 180°C or higher.
7. Heat oil in a preheated pan, add the carrot first, and stir-fry...
8. Add all the remaining vegetables and stir-fry briefly.
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9. Add all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients except the toasted sesame oil...
If you do not like it too sour, you can reduce the vinegar by 1 tbsp.
It is also delicious if you replace 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) with 1 tbsp ketchup.
10. Simmer until the vegetables are lightly cooked, then add starch slurry.
Starch slurry is made by mixing 2 tbsp potato starch and 2 tbsp water.
Add starch slurry (made with equal parts potato starch and water) at the end to make the sauce thick and glossy.
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11. Once it thickens, turn off the heat...
12. Add the fried cockles and a little toasted sesame oil, then toss everything together evenly.
Ppunwife's tips
- Frying them once, letting them cool, and frying them again makes them even crispier.
- Add starch slurry (made with equal parts potato starch and water) at the end to make the sauce thick and glossy.
- If batter dropped into the oil sinks to the bottom and barely rises, it is below 150°C; if it rises slowly, it is 150–160°C; if it drops halfway and rises right away, it is 170–180°C; if it scatters across the surface of the oil, it is 180°C or higher.
FAQ
Is there a way to make the fried cockles crispier?
If you fry the cockles once, let them cool, and then fry them once more, they become much crispier.
What should I do if I do not have oyster sauce for the sweet and sour sauce?
You can replace 1 tsp oyster sauce with regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang).
Can I switch from a soy sauce base to a ketchup-flavored sauce?
It also turns out delicious if you replace 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) with 1 tbsp ketchup and simmer it.
How do I check for the right oil temperature (170–180°C)?
When you drop batter into the oil, if it sinks about halfway to the bottom and immediately rises back up, the temperature is just right.
