Simple Soy Sauce Braised Fish Cakes
Quick & Easy Stir-Fried Fish Cakes with Soy Sauce ♡
This is one of the simplest side dishes! I always add these stir-fried fish cakes when making kimbap 🙂 The magic happens when you boil glass noodles and stir-fry them with the fish cakes – it becomes fish cake japchae! ♡_♡ Try making this super simple, anyone-can-do-it soy sauce braised fish cake!
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 5 sheets of fish cake
- 2 cheongyang peppers (Korean chili peppers)
- 1 stalk of green onion
Seasoning
- 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 Tbsp oligosaccharide (or corn syrup)
- A pinch of sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp perilla oil (or sesame oil)
- 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 Tbsp oligosaccharide (or corn syrup)
- A pinch of sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp perilla oil (or sesame oil)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, peel the onion and cut it in half. Then, thinly slice it into strips. Tip! Slicing from the root end helps maintain the onion’s shape and prevents it from breaking apart. Try to slice them not too thick so they absorb the seasoning well.
Step 2
Cut the green onion in half lengthwise. If the inner core is tough or gummy, it’s best to remove it for a softer texture. Then, slice it into strips.
Step 3
Trim the ends off the cheongyang peppers. Cut them in half, remove the seeds, and then slice them into thin strips. Tip! If you like it spicy, you can leave the seeds in. However, removing them will result in a cleaner taste and texture, preventing any prickly bits in your mouth.
Step 4
Let the fish cakes cool slightly so they aren’t steaming hot. Then, slice them into strips about the same length as the vegetables. Tip! I’m using croaker fish cake, which is particularly chewy and soft. While any fish cake will taste great, croaker fish cake offers a superior flavor.
Step 5
Keep the prepared vegetables (onion, green onion, chili peppers) and fish cakes separated or arrange them with stir-frying order in mind. In a separate small bowl, combine all the seasoning ingredients to make the sauce.
Step 6
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oligosaccharide, and minced garlic. Mix well to create the sauce. Tip! We’ll add the perilla oil and sesame seeds at the very end to preserve their aroma and enhance the flavor of the fish cakes. This method helps achieve a clean and deep flavor with minimal oil.
Step 7
Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced green onions and stir-fry until fragrant. Tip! Heat control is key here. High heat will burn the green onions quickly, while low heat can release too much water, affecting the dish’s texture. Cook until you can smell the subtle aroma of the green onions.
Step 8
Once the green onions are fragrant and turn translucent, increase the heat to medium-high. Add the sliced onions and stir-fry until they become translucent. Tip! Stir-frying quickly over high heat helps the onions retain a slight crispness and prevents them from becoming mushy. Cook until the onions are clear.
Step 9
After the onions are translucent, add the sliced fish cakes to the pan. Stir-fry everything together until the vegetables and fish cakes are well combined.
Step 10
Push the vegetables and fish cakes to one side of the pan to create space. Pour the pre-made soy sauce mixture into the cleared space. Let the sauce bubble up for a moment, then toss everything together to coat the stir-fried ingredients.
Step 11
Now, add the sliced cheongyang peppers and mix them in. Tip! After mixing in the chili peppers and letting their spicy aroma infuse, turn off the heat immediately. This step is crucial for achieving the perfect flavor!
Step 12
With the heat turned off, drizzle in the perilla oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Tip! Adding the oil and seeds after turning off the heat ensures their fragrant aroma isn’t lost and allows the flavors to deeply infuse into the fish cakes. Stir gently to combine.
Step 13
Transfer the finished soy sauce braised fish cakes to a serving plate. Enjoy this delicious side dish with a warm bowl of rice!
