Chewy Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Fish Cakes)
A side dish of fish cakes stir-fried slowly in soy sauce and rice syrup until slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
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 eomuk bokkeum is slowly stir-fried in oil with soy sauce and rice syrup over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, giving it a texture that is slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Because it is fried dry without any excess moisture, it will not stick together even after being stored in the refrigerator, making it great as an everyday side dish or a filling for gimbap.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 7 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Square fish cake (eomuk)1 pack, 250 g
- Peeled garlic3 cloves
- Red chili pepper1
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili) (or green chili pepper)1
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Rice syrup (jocheong) (or corn syrup (mulyeot), oligosaccharide syrup (oligodang))2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1/2 tbsp
- The red chili pepper is mainly for color, so you can substitute a little carrot, and you can use green chili pepper or scallions instead of Cheongyang chili pepper.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
For this eomuk bokkeum recipe, we will not add many vegetables and will fry it cleanly with just basic seasonings.
You will need 1 bag (250 g) of square fish cake (eomuk), peeled garlic, red chili pepper, and Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili).
The red chili pepper is for color, so you can substitute a little carrot, and you can use green chili pepper or scallions (jjokpa) instead of Cheongyang chili pepper.
Slice the ingredients
Cut the square fish cake in half lengthwise and thinly slice into strips less than 1 cm wide.
Remove the seeds from the chili peppers, cut them in half lengthwise, and julienne them; thinly slice the garlic as well.
Stir-fry in soy sauce seasoning
Once the pan is heated, reduce the heat to low, swirl in 2 to 3 tbsp of cooking oil, add the fish cake, 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), and 2 tbsp of rice syrup (jocheong), then stir-fry for 5 minutes to about 7 minutes.
You might wonder if that is too long to fry, but this is an important tip for getting that crispy yet chewy texture.
As the fish cake absorbs the seasoning, the exterior turns a light brown, becoming slightly crispy on the surface and much chewier when you bite into it.
Add aromatics and finish
Add all of the garlic and chili peppers, and stir-fry briefly so that the flavors blend throughout the fish cake.
Finish by adding 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds, then toss to combine.
Done
This eomuk bokkeum is not the moist, sauce-heavy kind.
By frying it slowly in oil with minimal seasoning, it gets a crispy-outside, chewy-inside texture along with a gentle sweetness and gloss from the rice syrup.
It has a very clean, savory, and refined taste.
Because it is fried completely dry with no moisture, it stays chewy and will not clump together even after sitting in the refrigerator.
I think I will be making this soy sauce version of eomuk bokkeum often.
Ppunwife's tips
- Once the pan is heated, reduce the heat to low, swirl in 2 to 3 tbsp of cooking oil, add the fish cake, 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), and 2 tbsp of rice syrup (jocheong), then stir-fry for 5 minutes to about 7 minutes.
- You might wonder if that is too long to fry, but this is an important tip for getting that crispy yet chewy texture.
- Because it is fried completely dry with no moisture, it will not clump together and will stay chewy even after sitting in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Is there a specific reason for stir-frying the fish cakes for so long?
Stir-frying thoroughly over low heat for at least 5 minutes allows the fish cake to absorb the seasoning, making the outside slightly crisp and the inside much chewier.
How can I substitute the red chili pepper or Cheongyang chili pepper if I do not have them?
You can add a little carrot instead of red chili pepper for color, and you can replace the Cheongyang chili pepper with green chili pepper or scallions.
Can I use another sweetener instead of rice syrup?
You can use an equal amount of corn syrup (mulyeot) or oligosaccharide syrup (oligodang) instead of rice syrup.
Do I need to reheat it after storing it in the refrigerator?
Because it is stir-fried dry without moisture, the pieces do not stick together and remain chewy even when cold, so you can eat it straight from the refrigerator.
