Hello everyone! Today, we're going to dive into how to make delicious stir-fried fish cakes, or 'eomuk bokkeum'. It's a side dish that's super easy to whip up with ingredients you likely already have in your fridge, making it a frequent guest on many dinner tables. However, even with the same fish cakes, there can be a surprisingly big difference in taste between the ones you make at home and those from your favorite restaurant. Today, I'll share some secrets to bridge that gap and make your stir-fried fish cakes even more amazing.

Ingredients and Preparation for Stir-Fried Fish Cakes

To make stir-fried fish cakes, you'll need the following ingredients:

• About 150g of fish cakes
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 tablespoon perilla oil (deulgireum)
• Sesame seeds

With these simple ingredients, you can create a fantastic dish. Shall we move on to the cooking steps?

Preparing the Fish Cakes

Many people take the fish cakes straight out of the package and stir-fry them in oil. This method doesn't effectively remove the fishy smell and can make the dish greasy. That's why it's crucial to blanch them in hot water for about 20-30 seconds or pour boiling water over them before cooking. This process removes excess oil and any unpleasant odors, while also making the texture softer.

If you happen to forget to blanch them, you can put the fish cakes in a pan with a little water instead of oil and stir-fry them. As the water evaporates, the fish cakes will gently heat up, absorb moisture, and the surface greasiness will be reduced.

Seasoning and Stir-Frying

Once the fish cakes are softened, add a small amount of cooking oil to the pan and give them a light stir-fry. The oil helps coat the fish cakes, preventing moisture from evaporating too quickly and maintaining a much more tender texture. Adding vegetables like onions or green onions at this stage will enhance the flavor further with the moisture and sweetness they release.

When the onions are slightly cooked, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of black pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon of red pepper flakes. Mix everything well. This combination of savory soy sauce and subtle sweetness will seep into the fish cakes, creating a perfect flavor profile for a side dish with rice.

Finishing Touches and Tips

Finally, add minced garlic and stir-fry briefly. The garlic aroma will cut through any remaining oiliness from the fish cakes and deepen the overall flavor. Be careful not to overcook the garlic, as it can turn bitter; just cook it until the fragrance is released.

In the last step, add 1 tablespoon of perilla oil. Perilla oil adds a nutty flavor, and it's best added just before turning off the heat to preserve its aroma. Finish by generously sprinkling sesame seeds for a more appetizing look.

The stir-fried fish cakes made this way remain relatively soft not only when freshly cooked but also after being refrigerated. By remembering the simple steps of first adding water to hydrate and then using oil to seal in the moisture, anyone can make wonderfully moist stir-fried fish cakes. If you've been disappointed by tough fish cakes in the past, this method is definitely worth trying!