Spicy Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir Fried Fish Cakes)
A 3 to 4-serving spicy eomuk bokkeum made by blooming chili oil first to lock in moisture and create a glossy finish.
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 →
Stir-frying the chili flakes in oil first to make chili oil keeps moisture from being absorbed, giving you a moist and glossy texture. Seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce for deep umami, it delivers a pleasant spicy kick that pairs wonderfully with rice or packed into lunch boxes.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Fish cake (eomuk)150 g
- Onion1/4
- Green garlic stems (or 1/4 stalk of large green onion (daepa))1
Seasoning
- Cooking oil2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1/2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)1 tbsp
- Water2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- You can prepare 150 g of small assorted fish cakes, or 3 standard rectangular fish cake sheets.
- You can substitute the vegetables with carrots, mushrooms, large green onions, or chili peppers.
Steps
I prepared 150 g of small assorted fish cake (eomuk),
but you can also use 3 sheets of regular rectangular fish cake.
For the vegetables, thickly slice 1/4 onion and cut 1 green garlic stem into about 2 cm lengths.
You can also substitute carrots, mushrooms, large green onion, or chili peppers.
We are going to make chili oil first before stir-frying.
Start over low heat.
Add cooking oil to the pan, add gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), and stir-fry carefully so it does not burn.
Once the oil takes on the color of the chili flakes, add minced garlic and stir-fry briskly, then add the fish cake and onion and stir-fry.
Add all the seasonings: 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang), 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), 1 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), and 2 tbsp water,
then stir-fry so everything is evenly coated. Taste a piece of fish cake, and if it is too bland, add more soy sauce.
Next, add the green garlic stem (or large green onion) and toss quickly, then finish by stirring in toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Ppunwife's tips
- The secret to keeping fish cake stir-fry moist when using chili flakes is to bloom chili oil first and stir-fry with it. If you add gochugaru in the middle of stir-frying along with the other seasonings, it absorbs all the moisture from the sauce, vegetables, and fish cake. By letting it cook and expand in the oil, you get a much prettier color, deeper spicy flavor, and a wonderfully moist fish cake stir-fry.
FAQ
What is the secret to keeping the fish cake stir-fry moist rather than dry?
Instead of mixing the chili flakes with the other seasonings, stir-frying them first in oil over low heat to make chili oil prevents moisture from being drawn out of the fish cake and vegetables, resulting in a moist dish.
Can I use regular rectangular fish cakes instead of assorted fish cakes?
Yes, you can substitute 3 regular rectangular fish cake sheets for the 150 g of assorted fish cakes.
What can I use instead of green garlic stems if I do not have any?
You can freely substitute with other vegetables such as large green onions, carrots, mushrooms, or chili peppers.
