Eomuk, Korean Fried Fish Cakes (2 Ways)

I don’t know the first thing about the Korean language, so I will not go into the the taxonomy of these side dishes. I just know that they are two of my favorite “side dishes” that come along with a Korean meal. In Korean grocery stores they sell these frozen fried fish cakes that are formed into flat sheets. I believe them to be called EoMuk or possibly uhmook, but not understanding Korean I could be wrong. It really doesn’t matter, regardless of what they are called, when they are stir fried with a few simple ingredients and served chilled they are delicious.

Sometimes I like them with pepper paste (gochujang), just a little spicy.

Recipe:

• 4 sheets of Fried Fish Cake, cut into strips (about 1/2″ x 2″)
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 chilies, sliced
• 2 T. gochujang/pepper paste
• 1 T. corn syrup or sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 green onion, chopped
• sesame oil
• sesame seeds

Method:

1. Add 1 T. of cooking oil to a pan over medium high heat.
2. Add fish cakes to the pan and stir them for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, and sliced chili pepper to the pan, stir for a minuter or so.
4. Lower the heat to medium low.
5. Add 2 T. hot pepper paste, 1 T. of corn syrup or sugar, and 1/4 c. of water to the pan. Stir until reduced to a thick sauce.
6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped green onion, a splash of sesame oil, and a dash of sesame seeds.
7. Serve warm or chilled.

Sometimes I like it without gochujang, but still a little spicy.

Recipe:

• 6 sheets of Fried Fish Cake, cut into strips (about 1/2″ x 2″)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 2 green chilies, sliced
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. corn syrup or sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• sesame oil
• sesame seeds

Method:

1. Add 1 T. of cooking oil to a pan over medium high heat.
2. Add fish cakes to the pan and stir them for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, shredded carrot, and sliced chili pepper to the pan, stir for a minute or so.
4. Add the soy sauce, corn syrup or sugar, and water to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly until the water is absorbed.
5. Add a splash of sesame oil and a dash of sesame seeds.
6. Serve warm or chilled