Delicious Gimbap with Chewy Fish Cakes
[Fish Cake Gimbap] Perfect for Picnic Lunchboxes!
Enjoy a special autumn picnic with this delicious Gimbap filled with savory, stir-fried fish cakes! It’s a crowd-pleasing lunchbox item that both kids and adults will love.
Gimbap Ingredients- 4 sheets of dried seaweed (Gim)
- Cooked rice (warm)
- 2 sheets of square fish cakes
- 1 strip of gimbap ham
- 5-6 bunches of fresh spinach
- Pickled radish (Danmuji), to taste
- Braised burdock root (Ueong-jorim), to taste
- 3 eggs
- A little sesame oil
- A little sesame seeds
Seasoning for Fish Cakes & Rice- Salt (a pinch for blanching spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Sesame oil (for seasoning spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Sesame seeds (for seasoning spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Soy sauce (for stir-frying fish cakes)
- Water (for stir-frying fish cakes)
- Sugar (for stir-frying fish cakes)
- Salt (a pinch for blanching spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Sesame oil (for seasoning spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Sesame seeds (for seasoning spinach, for seasoning rice)
- Soy sauce (for stir-frying fish cakes)
- Water (for stir-frying fish cakes)
- Sugar (for stir-frying fish cakes)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Carefully trim and wash the fresh spinach. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt, then blanch the spinach for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Immediately rinse in cold water and squeeze out any excess moisture.
Step 2
In a bowl, combine the blanched spinach with 2-3 pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds. Gently toss to season, preserving the natural flavor of the spinach.
Step 3
Cut the 2 square fish cakes into long, bite-sized strips that fit the length of the gimbap. Cutting them uniformly will make your gimbap look neat.
Step 4
Crack the 3 eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and whisk well. For a smoother omelet, strain the egg mixture through a sieve.
Step 5
Lightly oil a heated pan and pour the whisked egg thinly to make an omelet over low heat. Once cooked, let the omelet cool completely, then slice it into thick strips suitable for gimbap filling. Slicing them too thinly might cause them to tear.
Step 6
Lightly oil a pan and pan-fry the gimbap ham until golden brown on both sides. Once cooked, cut the ham into convenient shapes and sizes for the gimbap filling.
Step 7
Now, let’s stir-fry the seasoned fish cakes. Add a tiny amount of cooking oil to a pan and sauté the cut fish cakes. Once they begin to soften, add 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/4 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir-fry until glossy and the liquid has mostly evaporated. This will enhance the fish cakes’ savory flavor.
Step 8
For the gimbap base ingredients, use paper towels to thoroughly pat dry the pickled radish (Danmuji) and braised burdock root. Removing excess moisture is key to preventing soggy gimbap.
Step 9
All the gimbap filling ingredients are now ready! You’re all set to create delicious and satisfying fish cake gimbap.
Step 10
Place the fluffy cooked rice (about the size of a baseball for each roll, totaling 4 portions) into a bowl. Season with 3-4 pinches of salt, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds, mixing evenly. While warm rice absorbs seasonings well, let it cool slightly before mixing to avoid making the seaweed soggy.
Step 11
Lay a sheet of seaweed (Gim) on a bamboo rolling mat. Spread the seasoned rice thinly and evenly over the seaweed, leaving about a 1cm border at the top edge to prevent the roll from bursting.
Step 12
Arrange the prepared filling ingredients (seasoned spinach, stir-fried fish cakes, ham, pickled radish, braised burdock root, egg omelet) neatly in a line over the rice. Placing the fillings towards the center will help create a well-shaped roll.
Step 13
Using the bamboo mat, carefully and tightly roll the gimbap. Start by lifting the edge of the mat to tuck in the fillings, then continue rolling firmly all the way to the end.
Step 14
Lightly moisten the edge of the seaweed with water before finishing the roll. This helps the gimbap seal properly, preventing it from unraveling.
Step 15
You now have 4 rolls of delicious fish cake gimbap! With generous fillings, these make for a wonderfully satisfying meal. For an extra touch, brush the finished rolls lightly with sesame oil for a glossy finish.
