Spicy and Sweet Bean Sprout Stew with Abundant Fish Cakes
Baek Jong-won’s Style Bean Sprout Stew with Fish Cakes
Introducing a deliciously spicy and sweet bean sprout stew that’s perfect as a side dish for rice or as a fantastic accompaniment to drinks. Bean sprouts are incredibly versatile, fitting perfectly into soups, stews, stir-fries, braised dishes, and salads. Today, we’re using the bean sprouts from our fridge to create a hearty and flavorful bean sprout stew, inspired by Baek Jong-won’s recipe and generously featuring fish cakes. Let’s create a wonderful meal with simple ingredients!
Bean Sprout Stew Ingredients- 500g Bean Sprouts
- 1 paper cup Water (approx. 180ml)
- 1 cup Rice Cake Soup Rice Cakes (optional, can be omitted)
- 1 stalk Green Onion
- 1/4 Onion
- 1 sheet Square Fish Cake
- 2 Cheongyang Peppers (Korean chili peppers)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds, for garnish
- Starch slurry (for thickening)
Bean Sprout Stew Seasoning Sauce- 1/5 paper cup Gochujang (Korean chili paste, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Sugar (approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Coarse Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Mirin (or Rice Wine, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Soy Sauce (approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Minced Garlic (approx. 36ml)
Making the Starch Slurry- 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch (or Potato Starch)
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1/5 paper cup Gochujang (Korean chili paste, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Sugar (approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Coarse Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Mirin (or Rice Wine, approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Soy Sauce (approx. 36ml)
- 1/5 paper cup Minced Garlic (approx. 36ml)
Making the Starch Slurry- 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch (or Potato Starch)
- 1 Tbsp Water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, thoroughly wash the bean sprouts and drain them well.
Step 2
Thinly slice the onion, cut the green onion into 2-3 long pieces, and slice the square fish cake into bite-sized pieces. (Tip: If using rice cake soup rice cakes, you can adjust the amount of fish cake or omit it. Cheaper fish cakes are said to have a richer flavor.)
Step 3
Let’s make the key seasoning sauce for the bean sprout stew! Mix all the sauce ingredients listed above together. All the seasonings are in a 1:1 ratio, which feels like a golden ratio! This makes it easy to adjust the quantity. Also, prepare the starch slurry by mixing 1/2 Tbsp starch with 1 Tbsp water beforehand. (It’s not in the photo, but be sure to prepare it!)
Step 4
Now, let’s start making the bean sprout stew. Pour 1 paper cup (approx. 180ml) of water into a wide pan.
Step 5
Add the prepared fish cake and rice cake soup rice cakes (if using) to the pan and bring to a boil.
Step 6
Once the water is boiling, add the washed bean sprouts and sliced onion. (Tip: You might forget if you slice the onion and set it aside, so it’s best to add it immediately!)
Step 7
As the bean sprouts start to wilt slightly, add all the prepared seasoning sauce.
Step 8
Gently stir-fry to combine the seasoning with the bean sprouts. Mix well so the flavors are evenly distributed.
Step 9
Immediately add the sliced green onions and Cheongyang peppers and continue to stir-fry together. You’ll start to smell the spicy aroma!
Step 10
Just a brief stir to combine all ingredients will wilt the bean sprouts quickly. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become tough. At this point, gradually add the prepared starch slurry while stirring to achieve your desired thickness. Stir as you add the starch slurry to prevent lumps.
Step 11
Once the stew has thickened to your liking, turn off the heat. Finally, drizzle with 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and a dash of black pepper for a nutty aroma.
Step 12
Transfer the finished, generous bean sprout and fish cake stew to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds for an appetizing look.
Step 13
Here’s a tip for this fish cake and bean sprout stew: the cheaper the fish cake, the tastier it is! Cheaper fish cakes tend to have a richer umami flavor and aroma, so keep that in mind.
Step 14
Baek Jong-won mentioned this dish is great as a side for rice but even better as a drinking snack, and I completely agree! It’s delicious with rice, and it’s also a perfect match with a cold beer or soju.
Step 15
Enjoy your meal and have a wonderful day! 😀
