Today I’ll show you how to make Samchi-yangnyeom-gui: stir-fried seasoned Spanish mackerel. Last month when I went to Oaxaca, Mexico, I was lucky enough to stay in a place right on the beach. Early in the morning I could buy fresh fish directly from the fishermen who arrived with their boats. I loved eating sashimi (“hoe” in Korean), making stew, grilling with salt, and eating plenty of fish. The most important thing when talking about fish is freshness!
I shot two videos for you, one of which is about this dish. The other is a seasoned raw fish (hoe-muchim) recipe, which I will share with you next time.
Samchi-yangneyom-gui is tasty, slightly sweet and soft and has no fishy smell! I use mackerel but for this dish you could also use mackerel, cod or snapper. This was a regular item I made for my kids’ lunchboxes when they were little. They loved it! Even people who don’t consider themselves fish love samchi-yangneyom-gui.
It’s not just for lunchboxes; it is also excellent as a normal side dish. Why don’t you give it a try and maybe even prepare a packed lunch like I’m showing you here? I guarantee you will become another samchi-yangneyom-gui fan!
ingredients
Serves 2
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirim cooking wine (also known as mirin)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped peeled ginger
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Spanish mackerel fillets
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons rice syrup (or sugar), optional
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Marinate the fish fillets
- In a large, shallow bowl, combine soy sauce, mirim, garlic, ginger, and ground black pepper. Mix well.
- Cut the fillets crosswise into pieces about 2 inches long and about ½ inch thick.
- Add the pieces to the marinade. Mix thoroughly to ensure even seasoning.
Cover and fry the fish
- Place the flour on a baking sheet or cutting board. Remove the fish from the marinade and coat each piece evenly with the flour, saving the leftover marinade for later.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add cooking oil. Once hot, add the fish pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp and lightly browned on the bottom.
- Flip the fish with a spatula and cook until the other side is light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more, or until cooked through.
- Wipe off excess oil from the pan.
- Add the leftover sauce and rice syrup to the pan. Push the fish to one side of the pan and then tilt it so that the opposite, empty corner is directly on the heat. Heat the sauce and rice syrup until bubbling, then level the pan and cover the fish with the simmering sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat them evenly.
Finish and serve
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the sesame oil. Transfer the cooked fish to a serving platter and sprinkle with the chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.
