Myeolchi Bokkeum is panfried dried anchovies. Sweet, salty and crunchy, it is one of my favourite Korean sides and also one of the simplest recipes. It can be made in just a few minutes but you need to move fairly quickly and take a little care to get it just right. I really like these with peanuts in the recipe but I am making these today without nuts to share with someone who has an allergy.

The recipe is easy to remember because it is just “one” of everything…

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried very small anchovies (in freezer section at Korean grocer)
• 1 tablespoon olive or other vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar (white or brown)
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Process:

Before you start cooking, combine the water, sugar and minced garlic in a small container. Mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Start cooking: this is an easy preparation but you have to move a little quickly so here are a couple videos to demonstrate…

Heat your pan on medium high and add dry anchovies (and nuts if you are including them). I like to stir mine with my fingers in the dry pan until they are too hot to touch. This step will ensure that any moisture in the fish will evaporate before frying them in oil. Keep them moving and just heat them until you can’t handle them with bare hands anymore.

Add the olive or vegetable oil and fry until crispy. Keep them moving. It is ok for them to brown a little bit but don’t go too far or they may taste bitter (burnt)

When they are crisply fried (you can even hear how crunchy they are), move them aside, add the sugar, water and garlic from the prepared container. Let it cook down a little on the side until you have kind of a loose caramel, then mix the fish back in for a few seconds and remove from the heat.

Move the hot fish to a new bowl or container so that it stops cooking.

Pour over the sesame oil

Add the sesame seeds

Mix well and it is done

How to eat myeolchi bokkeum

You can eat these as is, put them on rice or add them to your favourite lettuce wrap (ssam). I especially like to sprinkle them on fresh salads. They can be used anywhere something sweet, salty and crunchy would go. I had a Korean cook once who put them on her yogurt for breakfast but not sure if I would recommend it! If they are not all gone in one sitting, you can store your myeolchi bokkeum in an airtight container in the fridge.

Variations:

• you can make these spicy by adding a little gochujang to the sugar/water mixture or by sprinkling some chili flakes in at the end with the sesame seeds
• you can make these saltier or more savoury by adding sea salt or soy sauce to the mix. Careful though because the anchovies themselves are already quite salty. Experiment with small amounts.
• you can add any nut or seeds in with anchovies at the start of the recipe. Peanuts are classic and delicious but almost anything works including almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
• If you like them sweeter, add a little more sugar or even syrup (rice, corn or maple)

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.