Tender Gochujang Myeolchi Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-Fried Anchovies)
A side dish of dried anchovies stir-fried in garlic oil and coated in a soft, spicy-sweet 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 →
Stir-frying dried anchovies in oil with minced garlic until crisp cleanly removes any fishy smell. Simmer the gochujang sauce only briefly and turn off the heat before tossing to keep the texture soft and tender even after it cools.
- Servings
- about 6–8 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
- Keeps
- 7 days
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Medium dried anchovies200 g
Seasoning
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot) (or oligosaccharide syrup (oligodang), rice syrup (jocheong))4 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)3 tbsp
- Water2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds2 tbsp
- I used anchovies sized between tiny stir-frying anchovies and medium dried anchovies; for a family of 3 to 4, you can cut the recipe in half.
- Place the anchovies in a sieve and shake to sift out fine debris and crumbs.
- Depending on your preference, you can also stir-fry them with shishito peppers (kkwari-gochu) or peeled garlic cloves.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The anchovy size is somewhere in between, larger than tiny stir-frying anchovies and slightly smaller than medium dried anchovies.
I am making a larger batch to share, but for a family of 3 to 4 you can cut the amounts in half.
Place them in a sieve and shake to let the crumbs fall through.
Stir-fry the anchovies in garlic oil
Pour a generous amount of oil into a pan, add 2 tbsp minced garlic, and once it begins to bubble, add the anchovies and stir-fry thoroughly until crisp.
Stir-frying over medium-low heat removes any fishy smell and makes the anchovies much more flavorful.
Season the stir-fried anchovies
In the pan used to fry the anchovies, add the seasoning ingredients: 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), 2 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 4 tbsp rice syrup (jocheong), 1 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), and 2 tbsp water...
Bring it to a gentle boil for just a brief moment so the flavors meld together.
If you simmer it too long, the sugar and corn syrup will reduce too much and make the stir-fried anchovies hard.
Turn off the heat, add the anchovies, and mix well.
Finish by adding 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, tossing to combine.
Complete
The soft and tender stir-fried anchovies are finished.
It is truly simple and easy.
Ppunwife's tips
- Stir-frying over medium-low heat removes any fishy smell and makes the anchovies much more flavorful.
- If you simmer it too long, the sugar and corn syrup will reduce too much and make the stir-fried anchovies hard.
FAQ
What is the secret to keeping stir-fried anchovies from turning hard?
Do not boil the sauce containing sugar and syrup for long—simmer it only briefly, then turn off the heat before tossing in the fried anchovies to keep them tender.
How do you remove the fishy smell from dried anchovies?
Add the anchovies once minced garlic starts bubbling in a generous amount of oil, and stir-fry them thoroughly over medium-low heat until crisp.
Can I add other ingredients besides anchovies?
Peeled whole garlic cloves or shishito peppers (kkwari-gochu) both go wonderfully when stir-fried together, depending on your taste.
How should I adjust the recipe for a family of 3 to 4?
This recipe makes a generous batch, so for a family of 3 to 4 you can cut the ingredient quantities in half.
