You can make this simple Korean Fish Cake recipe at home and bring it to a Korean BBQ party. Korean Fish Cake is a great side dish or appetizer that you can plan ahead of time.
The Korean wave has taken the Philippines by storm, and the Korean culture is here to stay. Folks in the Philippines can see how Korean culture has changed their lives through the many Samgyupsal restaurants, K-dramas, and of course, K-pop idols.
We can see this influence in our tastebuds as well. It’s common to find Kimchi, Korean sauces, and frozen Korean corn dogs and fish cakes that are ready to eat these days.
That being said, if you want to know how Korean fish cakes are made, it’s not that hard. Read on and give it a try. Having this in your freezer is very useful for when you have a Korean BBQ night without planning it, or just to have as a snack or side dish whenever you want.
How to Make Delicious Korean Fish Cakes at Home
Korean fish cakes, known as eomuk or odeng, are a popular ingredient and side dish in Korean cuisine. With a chewy, bouncy texture and savory flavor, these cylindrical shaped snacks can be enjoyed on their own, added to soups and stews, or incorporated into other Korean dishes like tteokbokki and eomuk bokkeum. Though they are readily available pre-made at Asian grocery stores, learning how to make homemade Korean fish cakes from scratch allows you to control the ingredients and puts a delicious Korean staple within easy reach anytime.
Ingredients for Making Korean Fish Cakes
Authentic Korean fish cakes are made from a combination of fish or seafood, starch flour egg whites, and seasoning. Basic ingredients include
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Fish – Pollock, cod, snapper, or other white fish fillets work well. You can also incorporate seafood like chopped squid and shrimp.
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Starch – Potato starch or sweet potato starch helps bind the cakes and gives them an elastic, chewy texture.
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Flour – All-purpose flour adds structure. Rice flour can also be used.
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Egg whites – This acts as a binder.
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Aromatics – Onions, garlic, and green onions provide flavor.
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Seasonings – Salt, sugar, ground white pepper, sesame oil, fish sauce, etc.
Many recipes also include some water or broth, which helps soften the fish cakes once cooked. The ratio of fish to starch/flour determines the texture, so adjust to your preferences. More starch makes them chewier.
Steps for Making Korean Fish Cakes
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Cut the fish into chunks, removing any bones. Place the fish into a food processor along with the seafood, aromatics, seasonings, starch, flour and egg whites. Puree until a smooth paste forms.
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Transfer the paste to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to chill it. This helps with shaping later.
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Once chilled, scoop up portions of the paste, rolling and shaping them into cylinders, ovals or rounds. Wet hands can help prevent sticking. Place the shaped fish cakes on a baking sheet or plate.
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Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a gentle simmer. Carefully add the fish cakes and poach for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.
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Once cooled, the fish cakes are ready to use. For added flavor, pan fry or grill the fish cakes before serving to create a crispy exterior.
Tips for Making Great Fish Cakes
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Keep the paste chilled for easy shaping. Working quickly also prevents sticking.
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Use a nonstick pan or brush with oil if pan frying. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
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Add some broth, water or soy sauce to the pan when cooking to impart more flavor.
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Freeze extras for up to 3 months. Thaw before using. Refry to recrisp.
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Adjust the starch, flour and egg whites to get the texture you want.
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Spice it up with gochugaru, sesame seeds, scallions or minced ginger.
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Make a vegetarian version with chopped mushrooms instead of fish.
Serving Ideas for Korean Fish Cakes
Homemade Korean fish cakes are extremely versatile. Here are just some ideas:
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Enjoy as banchan, a side dish, along with rice and soup.
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Fry up with vegetables for eomuk bokkeum.
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Add to instant ramen or homemade ramyeon.
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Put into kimbap rolls or seaweed soup.
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Skewer and grill with vegetables and meat.
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Float in Korean inspired fish cake soup.
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Mix into spicy tteokbokki rice cakes.
With a few basic ingredients and some simple prep, you can easily recreate these popular snacks in your own kitchen. Making Korean fish cakes from scratch lets you control the flavor and spices while saving money. Keep a batch in your freezer for quick Korean meals anytime.
What to serve with Eomuk?
For a snack or appetizer, serve Korean Fish Cake on its own with dipping sauce. You can also eat it as a side dish with your Samgyupsal. You may also add it to soups or stir-fries.
Put cooked Korean Fish Cake in a container or Ziplock bag that won’t let air in. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen fish cake and refry it in hot oil before slicing.
You can also reheat sliced fish cake by bringing some water to a boil in a saucepot. When it starts to boil, take it off the heat and add the fish cakes. Let them sit for a minute. Drain well.
What is Korean Fish Cake?
Also called Eomuk or Odeng. It is one of the more popular side dishes and street foods in Korea. Korean Fish Cake is made with ground or minced fish or seafood, starch, and seasonings. It is formed into rectangles or cylinders and then fried until golden.
Japan’s Kamaboko, also called “Naruto,” is a fish cake that is usually used in soups. The Korean Fish Cake is very different from that. While the western fish cake looks like a croquette, it is still made from ground white fish.
Prawn, squid, and fish fillet – Using fresh ingredients is always best. But if fresh ingredients are unavailable, you may also use frozen alternatives. Using frozen raw squid rings will save you time cleaning it.
Using onion and garlic powder instead of fresh onion and garlic is easier and faster if you want the fish cake mixture to be smooth and free of lumps. But if this is what you have, then just make sure that you pulse it until very smooth.
Salt, sugar, and white ground pepper – are the condiments used for this recipe. They enhance and add flavor to the dish. Use very fine white ground pepper if possible.
Starch– There are only minor differences between the three starch options. You may choose what suits you best:
- If you want to deep fry something, potato starch is better than tapioca or cornstarch because it can handle higher temperatures. Also, it has fewer carbs and calories, which is something to think about if you want to lose weight.
- Cornstarch will make the outside of your fish cake crispier and crunchier than potato starch, but it will cook faster. Compared to potato starch, it has more calories and carbs but less sodium.
- Tapioca starch comes from cassava. This isn’t as good for frying as potato and cornstarch, but it’s what you should use if you want to freeze the Korean Fish Cake for a while before you fry it.
Egg white -used as a binder for the mixture.
When you fry food, use oil that has a high smoke point, like peanut oil, corn oil, or vegetable oil.
- You can use only fish fillets (tilapia or cod are the most common) if you’d like, or you can mix different kinds of seafood for a stronger flavor. In this recipe, I used fish fillet, prawns, and squid all together.
- To easily devein the prawn, use a toothpick. Make a hole in the skin between the joints and grab the vein by its tip. You can also use a paring knife to carefully cut along the back edge of the prawn. With the tip of the knife, remove the vein.
- Put the egg in the fridge for a few minutes before you separate the white from the yolk. Egg yolks get firmer and easier to separate when they are chilled.
- For food that doesn’t taste burned, use oil with a higher smoke point.
How to Easily Make Korean Fish Cake Sheets
How do you make fish cakes in Korea?
For our most basic fish cakes Korean style, about half is made with some type of fish (or seafood) mixture, about a third is flour, and the rest are mixed seasonings to add flavor such as onions, carrots, salt, sugar, etc. Then (much like making bread) these ingredients are mixed, kneaded, shaped, and then cooked.
How to make a fish cake in a wok?
1. Heat up a skillet / wok and once heated, add some cooking oil. 2. Add all the vegetables and stir them until they are lightly wilted (about 1 min). Add the fish cake and stir it for about 2 minutes. 3. Add your choice of seasoning sauce and stir it quickly (about 30 seconds) and evenly. Remove it from the heat. Serve. OPTION 1.
How do you cook a fish cake?
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. Cut the fish cake into bite size pieces. Thinly slice the vegetables. Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.
How to make Korean fish cake side dish?
Korean fish cake side dish is typically made with rectangular fish cake sheets, but you can also make them with other shaped fish cakes. Just thinly slice them so that it’s easy to bite and also so the sauce penetrates well during cooking. You can easily get Korean fish cake from a Korean grocery store.