Chewy and Savory Dried Pollack Jeon: Perfect for Holiday Feasts and Makgeolli Pairings!
How to Make Dried Pollack Jeon Using Frozen Dried Pollack – A Festive Holiday Dish, Also Great with Makgeolli!
A delightful holiday dish made with frozen dried pollack! This jeon is easy to prepare, boasting a wonderfully chewy texture and a delicate, savory flavor. Pan-fried until golden and crisp, it makes for an exceptional snack to pair with a glass of makgeolli (Korean rice wine). This special recipe will help melt away your holiday preparation fatigue.
Ingredients
- 1 Dried Pollack fillet (frozen)
- 2 Tbsp potato starch
- 1 egg
- 0.5 tsp mirin (rice wine)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Generous amount of cooking oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
For best results, thaw the frozen dried pollack by transferring it to the refrigerator the night before. Absorb any excess moisture released during thawing with paper towels. Next, sprinkle both sides of the pollack evenly with salt and pepper for seasoning. Then, lightly coat the pollack by sprinkling potato starch evenly over it, using a fine sieve or a mesh strainer (a fish netting strainer was used here for convenience). Gently shake to ensure the starch adheres well.
Step 2
Add about 0.5 teaspoon of mirin to the beaten egg. This helps to eliminate any fishy odor and enhances the savory flavor. Whisk the egg thoroughly until the chalaza (egg white strings) are broken. Then, fully dip the starch-coated pollack into the egg mixture, ensuring it is well coated.
Step 3
Heat a pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the egg-coated pollack into the pan. Pan-fry until both sides are golden brown and cooked through. It’s important to maintain medium heat to prevent the outside from burning before the inside is cooked.
Step 4
Dried pollack jeon can take a bit longer to cook than other fish jeon due to its slightly thicker texture. However, once fully cooked, you’ll discover a taste and chewy texture that is even more sophisticated and distinct from, for example, pollack roe jeon (dongtae jeon).
Step 5
For an even more appealing presentation, consider garnishing with fresh perilla leaves (sukgat), thinly sliced red chili peppers, or a swirl of egg yolk in the batter before frying. The finished dried pollack jeon is a splendid addition to any holiday spread, and it also makes a fantastic side dish for rice or a perfect accompaniment to makgeolli. While holiday preparations can sometimes feel daunting, enjoying a piece of this freshly fried jeon with a glass of makgeolli can be incredibly rewarding and help relieve your fatigue.
