Crispy Sweet and Savory Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Anchovies)
A soy sauce myeolchi bokkeum side dish stir-fried crispy in garlic oil to remove any fishiness, then simmered sweet and savory.
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 →
Dried anchovies are first stir-fried crispy in garlic-infused oil to get rid of any fishiness and off-flavors. Tossed in a simmered soy sauce seasoning, it is mildly sweet, not overly salty, and easy to enjoy.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Dried anchovies2 cups (70 g)
Seasoning
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- Use 2 cups of dried anchovies slightly smaller than medium-sized.
- Sift the dried anchovies through a strainer to shake off any loose debris.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 2 cups of dried anchovies that are slightly smaller than medium-sized. When weighed, both 2 cups come out to 70 g.
Prepare the dried anchovies
Place the dried anchovies in a strainer and shake off the loose crumbs.
Stir-fry in garlic oil
Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic to 3 tbsp of cooking oil and stir-fry briskly to bring out the aroma, then stir-fry the dried anchovies until crispy.
Frying the dried anchovies once in garlic before seasoning removes any fishiness, and soggy anchovies turn crispy so they will not clump together even when tossed in sauce.
Stir-fry in soy sauce seasoning
In the pan used to fry the anchovies, add 2 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 2 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot), 1 tbsp sugar, and 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), bring everything to a gentle boil, then add the anchovies.
Once the sauce moistens and coats the anchovies evenly, turn off the heat, add 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and toss well to finish.
Finish
Here, I stir-fried just the anchovies in soy sauce seasoning.
It is not overly salty and nicely sweet, making it great as a side dish for children.
It is not too salty, so it tastes great even on its own.
Stir-frying them first in garlic oil before seasoning leaves no stale fishy smell at all, only rich savory flavor.
Stock up on this calcium-packed everyday banchan for the week.
Ppunwife's tips
- The handy tip to eliminate any fishiness, even for anchovies kept in the freezer, is to stir-fry them crisp in garlic oil.
- Stir-frying the anchovies once with garlic before adding seasoning removes any fishiness, and soggy anchovies turn crispy so they do not clump together in the sauce.
FAQ
What is the secret to removing the fishy odor from dried anchovies?
Stir-frying minced garlic in cooking oil to release its aroma, then frying the anchovies until crisp, will eliminate both sogginess and fishy odors.
How do you keep the anchovies from clumping together when tossing them in the sauce?
If you fry the anchovies crisp in garlic oil beforehand, they will not stick to one another when coated in the sauce.
Can I use brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang) instead of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)?
Yes, you may use brewed soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce.
