Clean Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Anchovies) Side Dish
A stir-fried anchovy side dish cooked with garlic oil and shishito peppers to remove fishiness, stir-fried separately so the flavors come together cleanly.
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 →
Medium dried anchovies, which can be tricky to clean, are first stir-fried in garlic oil to banish off-odors and bring out their nutty aroma. The anchovies and shishito peppers are each stir-fried to perfection before being combined in a soy sauce glaze, making a side dish where the seasoning coats every bite seamlessly.
- Servings
- about 6–8 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Medium dried anchovies170 g (4 cups)
- Shishito peppers (kkwari-gochu)200 g
- Sugar1 tbsp
Seasoning
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Soy sauce (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))3 tbsp (jin)
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Salta little
- Toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds2 tbsp
- Before stir-frying, place the anchovies in a strainer and shake to remove crumbs.
- Rinse the shishito peppers and cut them into lengths similar to the anchovies.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Medium dried anchovies are at an awkward size to remove the heads and innards.
Eating them whole can sometimes feel unpleasant or fishy, but highlighting the chewy texture of the accompanying ingredients makes them delicious to enjoy.
First, place them in a strainer and shake before stir-frying to remove loose crumbs.
Rinse the shishito peppers and cut them to a length similar to the anchovies.
Stir-fry the anchovies in garlic oil
Stir-fry 2 tbsp minced garlic in oil until fragrant, then add the anchovies and stir-fry carefully so they do not burn.
Coating them in garlic aroma transforms any fishiness from the freezer into savory nuttiness.
Check the saltiness of the anchovies as you stir-fry; if they taste too salty to eat on their own, add 1 tbsp sugar to balance the flavor.
Once they are stir-fried crisp, transfer to another plate...
Stir-fry the shishito peppers
Drizzle oil into the same pan used for the anchovies, add the shishito peppers, and stir-fry briskly to coat them in oil.
Add 2 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), and 2 tbsp corn syrup (mulyeot) to season...
Stir-fry until the seasonings soak into the shishito peppers and they soften tenderly.
Taste the peppers as well, and if they seem too bland, add a pinch of salt while stir-frying.
Add the anchovies and finish
Add the anchovies and mix together.
Taste an anchovy and a pepper together for a final seasoning check, and adjust to your taste.
Finish by adding 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, tossing to combine.
Ppunwife's tips
- Any fishiness that might remain from leaving the heads and innards intact is removed as the anchovies are stir-fried in garlic oil and infused with the shishito pepper aroma.
- By seasoning and stir-frying the naturally salty anchovies and the shishito peppers separately before combining them, the flavors blend together without feeling disconnected.
- Check the saltiness of the anchovies as you stir-fry; if they taste too salty to eat on their own, add 1 tbsp sugar to balance it out.
FAQ
Do I need to clean the heads and innards from each anchovy?
For awkward-sized medium dried anchovies, simply shaking the crumbs off in a strainer and thoroughly stir-frying them in garlic oil will coat them in aroma and eliminate off-odors without needing to clean each one.
How do I adjust the flavor if the anchovies themselves are very salty?
Taste the anchovies while stir-frying them in the garlic oil; if they are quite salty, add 1 tbsp sugar to gently mellow out the saltiness.
Is there a reason to stir-fry the anchovies and shishito peppers separately?
Cooking the naturally salty anchovies and the vegetable shishito peppers to their own ideal doneness before combining them ensures the seasoning coats everything evenly without feeling disconnected.
