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Eomuk-tang
Fish cake soup
어묵탕: fish-cake skewers simmered in a light radish and anchovy broth
On cold evenings in Busan, the city that made Korean fish cake famous, steam rises from street stalls where folded fish-cake skewers bob in a long tray of broth. You help yourself to a skewer, dip it in soy sauce and sip a paper cup of the hot broth while you stand. Bupyeong market has rows of fish-cake shops, and many families buy a bag there to make this simple soup at home. Radish, dried anchovies and kelp give the broth its clean, sweet flavour. Chef's tip: pull the heads and black guts off the dried anchovies before using them, because the guts make the broth bitter.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
- 15 large dried anchovies (for stock)about 20 g
- ⅓ oz dried kelp (dasima or kombu)about a 10 cm square
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 7 oz Korean radish or moolicut into thick half-moons
- ½ onion
- 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)or 2 tsp ordinary soy sauce
- ½ tsp saltto taste
For the skewers
- 2 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
- 1 red or green chilli (optional)sliced
For the dipping sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 spring onionfinely chopped
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Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in water. Snap the heads off 15 large dried anchovies (for stock) and pull out the black guts with your fingers.
Step 2: Toast the anchovies in a dry saucepan over a medium heat for 1 minute, until they smell nutty. Add 6 ¼ cups water, ⅓ oz dried kelp (dasima or kombu), 7 oz Korean radish or mooli and ½ onion and bring to the boil over a high heat.
6 minStep 3: Common mistake: leaving the kelp in to boil. After 3 minutes at the boil, lift it out; long boiling makes the broth slimy and bitter. Lower the heat and simmer the rest for 5 minutes more.
8 minStep 4: Meanwhile cut 14 oz flat Korean fish-cake sheets (eomuk) into long strips about 4 cm wide and thread each strip onto a skewer in a zigzag, folding it like a ribbon.
Step 5: Strain out the anchovies and onion, keeping the radish in the pot. Season with 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) and ½ tsp salt; the broth should taste lightly salty.
Step 6: Add the skewers, 2 spring onions and 1 red or green chilli and simmer over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish cakes are hot and puffed. Fish cake is already cooked, so it only needs heating; longer boiling makes it soft and soggy.
4 minStep 7: Mix 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp water, ½ tsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) and 1 spring onion. Serve the skewers in the pot with cups or bowls of broth, the radish and the dipping sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does eomuk-tang take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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