Sotteok Sotteok: A Delicious Korean Skewer Snack
Sotteok Sotteok: A Delicious Korean Skewer Snack
Make Your Own ‘Rest Stop’ Favorite: Sotteok Sotteok Recipe
This beloved snack, often found at Korean highway rest stops, saw a massive surge in popularity after being featured on TV. On this weekend, while rummaging through my fridge, I found some sausages and tteokbokki rice cakes frozen in the freezer. Naturally, I thought, ‘It’s time to make some sotteok sotteok!’ Let’s create this simple yet delicious treat together.
Ingredients- 12 sausages
- 12 tteokbokki rice cakes
- Cooking oil (for frying)
- Ketchup
- Mustard sauce
- Chili sauce
- Parsley flakes (optional)
- Starch powder (potato or corn)
- Water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Since the tteokbokki rice cakes were frozen, we’ll briefly blanch them in hot water until they become soft. Be careful not to overcook them, as they might become too mushy. For the sausages, make shallow diagonal cuts on them, then blanch them in boiling water to remove any impurities. This step helps eliminate any unwanted smell and makes the sausages taste cleaner.
Step 2
Once the rice cakes are softened, drain them well and coat them evenly with starch powder. A thin coating will result in a crispier texture. Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Carefully add the starch-coated rice cakes, ensuring they don’t stick together. Fry them until they turn golden brown, then remove and drain them on a wire rack. Be cautious when frying rice cakes, as they can sometimes pop. This frying method creates a delightful contrast between a crispy exterior and a chewy interior.
Step 3
Now, let’s assemble the skewers. Thread the prepared rice cakes and blanched sausages onto skewers, alternating between them. A common and visually appealing arrangement is sausage-rice cake-sausage-rice cake. Try to match the sizes of the sausages and rice cakes for a balanced look.
Step 4
Using 12 sausages and 12 rice cakes, I’ve made 6 skewers. (If you use 1 sausage and 1 rice cake per skewer, you’ll get 12 skewers.) I’ll grill half of them without any sauce, and for the other half, I’ll lightly oil a pan and grill them until golden brown on both sides. This grilling step enhances the flavors of both the sausages and rice cakes.
Step 5
For the three skewers that will be sauced, add about 2 tablespoons of chili sauce to the pan. Toss the skewers in the sauce to coat them evenly. While chili sauce alone is delicious, you can also add a touch of sugar or gochujang at this stage for extra sweetness and spice.
Step 6
Doesn’t it feel like something is still missing? That’s because we’re about to add more delicious sauces to enhance the flavor and visual appeal!
Step 7
Simply squeezing ketchup or mustard directly from the bottle can result in thick, uneven lines. To achieve a more refined look, place a small amount of sauce into a fingertip of a disposable glove. Then, use scissors to cut a tiny hole at the tip of the finger. This technique works like a piping bag for bakers, allowing you to control the thickness and create decorative patterns with the sauce.
Step 8
Drizzling ketchup and mustard sauce over the sotteok sotteok skewers makes them look much more appealing and appetizing. To add a touch of freshness and color, I’ve sprinkled some parsley flakes on top. (A little goes a long way with parsley flakes, and I unfortunately had to discard half of a container that was past its expiration date last time. This time, I’m determined to use it up diligently!)
