How to Whip Up One of the Most Popular #KFood Side Dishes

If you've ever been to a Korean restaurant, you've probably seen a side dish that looks like a picture in this blog. You probably like its savory yet mildly sweet taste. However, if you're not Korean, you probably don't know what it is made of. If you asked your friend or waiter about it, they probably told you, "Oh, it's fishcake."

Eww, fishcake?! Sounds so gross, doesn't it? It's not exactly the most correct translation. 어묵, pronounced as "uhmook" in Korean, it is a processed seafood product made of ground white fish and other ingredients such as potato starch and vegetables. You can think of it as a pescatarian version of sausage.

I'm excited to share this oh-so-simple 어묵 side dish recipe from Baek Jong-won. Make a generous portion, keep it in the fridge, and you will have a side dish to go with any Korean meal for many days!

1. Ingredients

• "Fishcake" (어묵), you can find them in the freezer aisle of any Korean grocery store) - approximately 6 sheets

• Carrot - 1/3

• Onion - 1/2

• Minced garlic - 1/2 TBSP

• Sugar - 1/2 TBSP

• Soy sauce - 3 TBSP

• Green onion - 1 cup

• Sesame oil - 1 TBSP

• Cooking oil - 2 TBSP

• Water - 1/4 cup

• Optional: Korean chili pepper powder (고춧가루) - 1 TBSP

• Optional: green Korean chili pepper (청양고추) - 1 or 2

1. Prep

• Slice fishcake thinly into about 1/4-inch strips

• Cut carrot into 2 chunks, then slice them into thin strips

• Slice onion into thin strips

• Chop green onions

• Optional: finely chop the green Korean chili peppers

1. Stir-fry (stir and mix after adding each ingredient)

• Pour about 2 TBSPs of oil in a medium size frying pan or wok

• Add 1/2 TBSP of garlic

• Add 1/2 TBSP of sugar

• Add 3 TBSP of soy sauce

• Add the strips of fishcake into the mix

• Add 1/4 cup of water

• Add 1 cup of chopped green onion

• Add 1 TBSP of sesame oil

• Add onion and carrot and stir-fry with the mix for about 2-3 minutes

• Optional: Add 1 TBSP of the Korean chili pepper powder

• Optional: Add the chopped green Korean chili pepper

That's it! Get a bowl of steamed rice and you've got yourself one of the most delicious side dishes to go with. Bon appetit!

#kfood #recipe #koreanfood #baekjongwon #korean #food #pork #shishitopeppers #porkbelly