Myeolchi bokkeum
Sweet stir-fried anchovies
Myeolchi bokkeum (멸치볶음): crisp sweet-glazed dried anchovies
Myeolchi bokkeum is the lunchbox banchan of Korea, made with tiny dried anchovies landed and sun-dried on the southern coast around Tongyeong and Namhae, the country's anchovy heartland. The little fish are toasted in a dry pan, then tossed in garlic oil and a quick soy and rice-syrup glaze, so they end up crunchy, sweet, salty and deeply savoury. A small dish goes alongside rice at almost every Korean meal. The common mistake is adding the syrup over a high heat: it caramelises into a hard sheet that welds the anchovies into a brick. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before the syrup goes in and toss; the pan's leftover warmth is enough to glaze without hardening.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 garliccloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 oz almonds or walnuts (optional)roughly chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Shake 3 ½ oz small dried anchovies (jiri myeolchi) in a sieve to remove dust and broken bits.
Step 2: Toast them in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until they smell toasty and feel crisp, about 3 minutes. Tip onto a plate. Toast 1 oz almonds or walnuts, if using, in the same way.
4 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in the pan over a medium-low heat, add 2 garlic and fry until pale gold.
2 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat, drizzle over 2 tbsp rice syrup or golden syrup and toss quickly until every fish is glossy.
Step 6: Add 1 tsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and spread out on a plate to cool so the pieces don't clump. Keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does myeolchi bokkeum take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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