Dongtae-jeon (Pan-Fried Pollock)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide nonstick or well-seasoned skillet, 28 to 30 cm
• •Thin fish spatula or offset spatula
• •Two shallow dishes for flour and egg
• •Clean kitchen towel or thick paper towels
• •Sheet tray or large plate

Instructions

1. 1

   Thaw and slice

   Thaw the pollock overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped or covered, so it stays cold and does not lose its texture. Pat it dry, then cut into pieces about 6 cm long and 4 cm wide, each piece 1 cm thick. Keep the size even so the fish cooks through before the egg browns.

2. 2

   Season and drain

   Lay the pollock in a single layer on a tray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, then drizzle with cheongju, soju, or mirin if using. Let it stand 15 minutes. The salt seasons the fish and pulls out extra moisture; the alcohol is a gentle help for frozen fish, not a cover for poor fish.

   If the pollock smells strongly fishy after thawing, do not hide it with more seasoning. Use fresher fish. Technique first, but fish past its time will still tell on you.
3. 3

   Blot it dry

   Move the fish to a clean towel or several layers of paper towel and blot both sides very well. Press lightly, wait a minute, and blot again. This is the step people rush. The surface must be dry enough that flour clings in a thin dusting instead of forming wet patches.

4. 4

   Prepare coatings

   Put the flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon water, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the chopped scallion until no streaks of white remain. The water loosens the egg just enough to coat lightly, and the measured salt seasons the outside without making the fish harsh.

5. 5

   Flour the fish

   Dust each piece of pollock in flour, then tap off the excess until only a thin, even veil remains. Too much flour makes a dull, bready coat and separates from the fish. Set the floured pieces on a tray and work steadily, not slowly, so the flour does not turn damp before frying.

6. 6

   Dip in egg

   Dip the floured fish into the beaten egg and let the excess drip back into the dish. You want the egg to cover the fish, not pool around it in the pan. Place one slice of red chili or green chili on top of each piece after it goes into the pan, pressing lightly so it sets into the egg.

7. 7

   Fry gently

   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low heat. Add the egg-coated fish in a single layer, garnish side up, leaving space between pieces. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is pale gold and the edges look set. The heat should be gentle; brown egg tastes tired on this dish.

8. 8

   Turn once

   Turn each piece carefully with a thin spatula and cook another 2 minutes, just until the fish is opaque and flakes when pressed. Wipe the pan if browned egg collects, add fresh oil as needed, and continue with the remaining pieces. Clean oil keeps the jeon yellow instead of muddy.

9. 9

   Mix dipping sauce

   Stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, water, toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil if using. The sauce should be sharp and salty enough to wake the mild fish, not so strong that every bite tastes only of soy.

10. 10

    Serve warm

    Arrange the dongtae-jeon on a platter in slightly overlapping rows, garnish side up. Serve warm or at room temperature with the dipping sauce. For a holiday table, make it the same day if you can; reheated jeon is useful, but freshly fried jeon is kinder to the fish.

Chef Tips

• •Buy pollock fillets that look clean white and firm, without thick ice crystals or yellow edges. A thin glaze of ice is normal for frozen fish; heavy frost means it has been sitting too long or thawed and refrozen.
• •The safe shortcut is thawed, boneless pollock fillet from the Korean market. The unsafe shortcut is skipping the blotting. Wet fish will shed its coating no matter how carefully you fry it.
• •Keep the oil shallow. This is jeon, not deep-frying. A tablespoon at a time gives the egg contact with the pan and keeps the surface tender.
• •For a holiday spread, fry dongtae-jeon before the stronger-smelling meat jeon. Mild fish picks up the pan's memory quickly, and a wiped pan is still not a new pan.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a dry skillet over low heat until warmed through, not in a microwave if you can help it, because the egg turns rubbery.

Advance Preparation

• •Thaw the pollock overnight in the refrigerator. Do not thaw it on the counter; fish this mild loses texture quickly when it warms.
• •The fish can be cut, salted, blotted dry, covered, and refrigerated up to 4 hours before cooking. Flour and egg it only just before frying, or the coating turns gummy.
• •The dipping sauce can be mixed 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Stir in sesame seeds just before serving if you want them to stay crisp.
• •For a large holiday table, fry the jeon up to 3 hours ahead and hold it loosely covered at room temperature. Warm it briefly in a low skillet before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 175g)