Chewy and Delicious Stir-fried Dried Eel Recipe
The Perfect Side Dish: Stir-fried Dried Eel that Goes Excellently with Rice
This dish features dried eel, rehydrated and stir-fried in a spicy and sweet gochujang sauce. The resulting texture is delightfully chewy and the flavor is rich, making it an ideal accompaniment to rice. It’s a crowd-pleaser for all ages.
Main Ingredients- 3 dried eels (adjust quantity based on size)
- 1 handful of bok choy
- 1/2 onion (sliced)
- 1/2 carrot (thinly sliced)
- 2 Korean chili peppers (sliced diagonally, adjust for spice level)
- 1 stalk of green onion (cut into large pieces)
- 10 cloves of garlic (sliced)
- 2 Tbsp Jerusalem artichoke starch (or regular starch)
Seasoning- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp minced ginger)
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, for color and heat)
- 1 Tbsp oligosaccharide (corn syrup or maltose syrup can be substituted)
- 1 Tbsp mirin (sweet cooking wine)
- 1 Tbsp carrot syrup (or fruit syrup/corn syrup)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp ginger powder (or 1/2 tsp minced ginger)
- 1 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, for color and heat)
- 1 Tbsp oligosaccharide (corn syrup or maltose syrup can be substituted)
- 1 Tbsp mirin (sweet cooking wine)
- 1 Tbsp carrot syrup (or fruit syrup/corn syrup)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Gently rinse the dried eels under running water. Cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 3-4 cm). Sprinkle with ginger powder to remove any gamey smell and mix well. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Coat the marinated dried eel pieces evenly with Jerusalem artichoke starch. Gently shake to ensure a thin layer of starch covers each piece. This coating helps the sauce adhere better.
Step 3
Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the starch-coated dried eel and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Be careful not to use heat that’s too high, as it can burn the outside before the inside is cooked.
Step 4
Once the dried eel is golden brown on both sides, set it aside on a plate. Pre-frying enhances the chewy texture.
Step 5
Now, prepare the vegetables for stir-frying. Wash and chop the bok choy into manageable pieces. Thinly slice the carrot and onion. Slice the Korean chili peppers diagonally, cut the green onion into large chunks, and thinly slice the garlic.
Step 6
Heat another pan with 1 Tbsp of cooking oil. Add the sliced garlic and green onions, and sauté over low heat to release their fragrant aroma. Stir continuously to prevent burning, allowing them to gently infuse the oil.
Step 7
To the fragrant garlic and green onion mixture, add the gochujang, gochugaru, oligosaccharide, mirin, and carrot syrup (or corn syrup/maltose syrup). Mix well to create the sauce. You can substitute oligosaccharide with corn syrup or maltose syrup for sweetness. This blend adds various layers of sweetness and umami.
Step 8
Simmer the prepared sauce over low heat for 1-2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir constantly to prevent the sauce from burning. This simmering step deepens the flavor.
Step 9
Once the sauce is bubbling, add the sliced carrots, onions, and diagonally sliced Korean chili peppers first. Stir-fry for about 1 minute. Adding the firmer vegetables first ensures they cook properly.
Step 10
Add the pre-fried dried eel back into the pan. Stir-fry gently to coat the eel thoroughly with the sauce. Ensure the sauce evenly coats each piece of eel.
Step 11
Finally, add the cleaned bok choy and turn off the heat. The residual heat will wilt the bok choy just enough to keep its crisp texture.
Step 12
Using the residual heat, toss everything together until well combined. If desired, add a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor and aroma. This is optional but enhances the nutty notes.
Step 13
And there you have it – a deliciously spicy and sweet, chewy stir-fried dried eel! Serve it over a bowl of freshly steamed rice for a truly satisfying meal. It makes an excellent side dish.
