Savory Gosari Namul Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Bracken Fiddleheads)
A holiday memorial service side dish of stir-fried bracken fern seasoned simply with tuna extract sauce and broth without green onion or garlic.
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 stir-fried bracken fern side dish is made cleanly without aromatic vegetables like green onions or garlic so that it is suitable for ancestral memorial tables. Adding tuna extract sauce and anchovy broth brings out a subtle savory flavor and a tender texture, while mirin removes the characteristic fishy earthy scent of bracken fern.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Boiled bracken fern (gosari)350 g
Seasoning
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Anchovy broth4 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Ground toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
- This is about three handfuls of boiled bracken fern sold in supermarkets.
- If using dried bracken fern, it needs to be soaked overnight and then boiled.
Steps
Prepare the bracken fern
If the stem ends of the bracken fern are hard or tough, trim them off with kitchen shears.
Rinse, drain, and then cut into bite-sized lengths.
Stir-fry
Grease a pan with cooking oil, add the bracken fern along with 2 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (or soup soy sauce) and 1 tbsp of mirin, and stir-fry briskly.
Bracken fern can have a characteristic fishy earthy smell, but adding mirin gets rid of it.
To make the bracken fern more tender, add 4 tbsp of anchovy broth, stir together, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Once the stiff bracken fern turns soft, remove the lid and stir-fry to cook off the moisture.
Finish by mixing in 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp of ground toasted sesame seeds at the very end.
Finish
I made this without adding green onions or garlic.
Even stir-fried with such simple seasoning, it is clean-tasting and delicious.
I hope you find this tender and light stir-fried bracken fern recipe helpful.
Ppunwife's tips
- Bracken fern can have a characteristic fishy earthy smell, but adding mirin gets rid of it.
- To make the bracken fern more tender, add 4 tbsp of anchovy broth, stir together, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
FAQ
Is there a seasoning I can use instead of tuna extract sauce?
You can cook it with an equal amount of 2 tbsp of soup soy sauce instead of tuna extract sauce.
How do you remove the fishy earthy smell of bracken fern?
When stir-frying the bracken fern, adding 1 tbsp of mirin will reduce the characteristic odor.
What should I do if the bracken fern is tough or stiff?
Trim away the tough ends of the stems, pour in anchovy broth, cover with a lid, and let it steam for 2 minutes while stirring occasionally to make it tender.
How can I replace anchovy broth if I do not have any? AI-generated
You can generally use dried kelp (dasima) steeped water, commercial Yondu seasoning, or plain water mixed with a little seasoning.
