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Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir-fried Fish Cake)
4.7 from 168 votes

Eomuk Bokkeum (Stir-fried Fish Cake)

Eomuk Bokkeum features thinly sliced fish cake stir-fried with onion, garlic, scallions, and chili peppers, coated in a savory sauce made with soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and optional Korean chili flakes for spice. The dish balances sweet, salty, and spicy flavors with the chewy texture of fish cake and crisp vegetables. It cooks quickly in a pan, making it a practical Korean side dish or snack that highlights the flavor of processed fish cakes often found in Korean cuisine.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fish cake eomuk (어묵); about 4 sheets
  • 1/4 onion medium
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1/2 scallion
  • 1 red chili pepper or 1/2 carrot, or 1/4 red bell pepper
  • 1 green chili pepper or 1/4 green bell pepper
  • oil for stir-frying
Sauce Ingredients (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or two teaspoons if you like it sweeter
  • pinch black pepper
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes, only for the spicy version

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and turn the heat off. Plunge the fish cake for 30 seconds. Drain and cool. This step removes excess oil and softens the fish cake, but you can skip it if you want.
  2. Cut the fish cake into bite size pieces. Thinly slice the vegetables.
  3. Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and scallions, and cook for a minute. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the fish cake and chili peppers, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
  4. Add the sauce ingredients over the fish cake and vegetables. Stir well, and cook until the sauce is well distributed and absorbed and the fish cake and vegetables are tender, about 1 minute.

Notes

  • Pre-mixing the sauce ingredients in a small bowl can simplify the cooking process.
  • Blanching the fish cake briefly before frying reduces excess oil and softens the texture but can be skipped if desired.