Spicy-Sweet Stir-Fried Fish Cakes with Korean Chili Peppers
Recipe for Delicious Stir-Fried Fish Cakes with Korean Chili Peppers, Featuring Dongwon’s Chewy Fish Cakes and Summer Season’s Finest Chili Peppers
As summer approaches, Korean chili peppers (gwari gochu) are abundant and perfect for a seasonal side dish. I’ve combined these flavorful peppers with Dongwon’s premium square fish cakes (galchi sagak) to create a delightful stir-fry. This recipe is inspired by Chef Kim Seon-yeong’s method from ‘Choi Yo-bi,’ with a slight adjustment: instead of blanching all vegetables, I only briefly blanched the fish cakes and then added other ingredients based on their cooking times. I also added onions for their sweetness, making this dish even more irresistible. Enjoy this wonderful side dish that pairs perfectly with rice!
Main Ingredients
- 30 Korean chili peppers (Gwari Gochu)
- 2 packages (360g) Dongwon Square Fish Cakes (Galchi Sagak)
- 80g Onion
- 90g Carrot
- 15 whole Garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp Cooking oil
Seasoning Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 3 Tbsp Mirin (Rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp Corn syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 75ml Water
- 3 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp Oyster sauce
- 3 Tbsp Mirin (Rice wine)
- 3 Tbsp Corn syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 75ml Water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Let’s start making this delicious stir-fried fish cake with chili peppers! Thoroughly wash the Korean chili peppers under running water. Remove the stems and slice them diagonally in half. Cutting them this way helps the seasoning penetrate beautifully, making them even tastier.
Step 2
To add a delightful crunch, peel the carrot, wash it clean, and slice it thinly into half-moon shapes. Slicing them uniformly ensures even cooking.
Step 3
Peel the onion and chop it into bite-sized pieces. If you chop them too small, they might become mushy when stir-fried. Cutting them into manageable pieces will preserve their flavor and texture.
Step 4
Peel the fragrant garlic cloves and slice them thinly into rounds. The garlic’s aroma will infuse the oil beautifully, enhancing the overall flavor of the dish.
Step 5
Cut the chewy fish cakes into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a colander and pour boiling water over them to briefly blanch. This removes any impurities and results in a cleaner, chewier texture. Drain them well after blanching.
Step 6
Now, let’s prepare the delicious seasoning sauce! In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, corn syrup, and water. Stir until the sweetener is fully dissolved. This perfectly balanced sauce will be the key to the fantastic flavor of your stir-fry.
Step 7
Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots and stir-fry. It’s important to cook the carrots until they soften slightly and their natural sweetness begins to emerge.
Step 8
Once the carrots are partially cooked, add the sliced garlic and continue to stir-fry. Be careful not to burn the garlic; cook it until it becomes fragrant, which will further enhance the dish’s aroma.
Step 9
Now, add the blanched fish cakes to the pan and stir-fry them with the other ingredients until everything is well combined. The fish cakes will lightly coat in the oil, becoming even more delightfully chewy.
Step 10
Pour the prepared seasoning sauce into the pan. It’s time to stir-fry everything until the sauce coats all the ingredients evenly.
Step 11
As the sauce starts to thicken slightly, add the chopped onions and stir-fry. Cook until the onions become translucent. This will bring out their sweetness and maintain a pleasant, slightly crisp texture.
Step 12
Finally, add the prepared Korean chili peppers and quickly stir-fry to combine them with all the ingredients and the sauce. It’s important to keep the chili peppers slightly crisp, so avoid overcooking them.
Step 13
Almost done! Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in the sesame oil. The nutty aroma of the sesame oil will enrich the overall flavor of the dish. Stir gently to distribute the aroma.
Step 14
Once the sauce has reduced to a glossy consistency, turn off the heat. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top for a final touch of flavor and visual appeal. Your delicious stir-fried fish cakes with Korean chili peppers are now ready! Serve them attractively on a plate for a wonderful side dish that will have everyone asking for seconds.
