Stir-Fried Dried Anchovies (Myeolchi Bokkeum)
This was the very first Korean dish I tried in elementary school at a friend’s house. We ate it with rice and pickled radish. I remember thinking it was so interesting because the tastes and textures were unique to what I had known up until then.
I grew up around a pretty big Korean community throughout elementary and high school. Many of my closest friends are the same Korean kids I’ve known since I was young. So it wasn’t surprising that my husband ended up being Korean.
I’m intimately familiar with Korean cuisine through eating at friend’s houses, exploring all the best restaurants in LA/OC and even living in Koreatown in my 20s. After getting married, my MIL has taught me how to make a variety of things including side dishes (banchan) like this one. Something that used to intimidate me when it came to cooking Korean food on my own was feeling like I wasn’t doing it “right” because I didn’t grow up eating it, but watching her in the kitchen over the years has shown me that there doesn’t need to be strict rules or even ingredients to accomplish the same tastes. Better yet, being flexible and resourceful can really make a recipe your own.
Here’s a quick Myeolchi Bokkeum I threw together. Because I didn’t have peanuts (which I’d normally use), I reduced the amount of sugar and mixed in candied nuts I found in the pantry.
Cooking Method
Stovetop
Time
🕒
Recipe
Ingredients*
2.5 CUPS SMALL DRIED ANCHOVIES
2 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
1 1/2 TBSP SOY SAUCE
5 TBSP MIRIN
3-4 TSP SUGAR
1 1/2 TBSP CORN SYRUP
8 GARLIC CLOVES, SLICED
2 TBSP SESAME OIL
1/4 CUP ROASTED PEANUTS, CRUSHED
ROASTED SESAME SEEDS
*I would also put whole Shiso peppers in here as well if I had some!
Instructions
Add vegetable oil and anchovies to a pan and stir fry for a few minutes. Set aside.
Add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, corn syrup, garlic and sesame oil. Stir until thickened. Add anchovies back in and fold to combine for a few minutes. Add nuts and fold in for a couple more minutes. Top with sesame seeds.
This can keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.