Kkwarigochu-myeolchi-bokkeum (꽈리고추멸치볶음, Shishito Anchovy Stir-Fry)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10 to 12 inch wide skillet or wok
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small bowl for glaze
• •Silicone spatula or wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Sort anchovies

   Shake the dried anchovies in a fine sieve over the sink or a bowl to lose the powdery crumbs. Those crumbs scorch first and make the whole pan taste old. If your anchovies are longer than 4 cm, pinch off the heads and pull out the dark guts, but tiny jiri-myeolchi can stay whole. Put them in a dry wide skillet over medium-low heat and stir 2 to 3 minutes, until they feel dry and a little crisp. Tip them onto a plate.

   Taste one anchovy after toasting. If it makes you thirsty, make the glaze with 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 4 teaspoons water instead of the full tablespoon of soy sauce. Dried anchovies do not all carry the same salt.
2. 2

   Prepare peppers

   Trim only the hard stem tips and leave the caps so the peppers keep their shape. Prick each pepper once with a skewer or make a 5 mm slit near the stem. This keeps them from popping in the pan and lets a little glaze enter. Dry them again with a towel. Wet skins do not blister; they collapse.

3. 3

   Mix glaze

   Stir together the soy sauce, water, cheongju, rice syrup, and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Keep it near the stove. The sauce goes in after the peppers blister, because soy and syrup burn before the peppers have time to soften.

4. 4

   Blister peppers

   Wipe out the skillet if crumbs remain, then heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers in as close to a single layer as the pan allows. Toss and press them against the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and show brown freckles while the green still looks alive. Add the sliced garlic and stir 20 to 30 seconds, just until it smells clean and sharp. Do not let the garlic brown hard.

   If the pan seems dry, add 1 teaspoon more oil, not water. Water turns this into boiled peppers, and that is not this dish.
5. 5

   Reduce glaze

   Lower the heat to medium and pour the glaze around the edge of the pan. Toss for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the liquid reduces to a glossy coating and the peppers bend slightly but still have bite. The glaze should mark the spatula in a thin line, not puddle under the peppers.

6. 6

   Coat anchovies

   Return the toasted anchovies to the pan and toss 30 to 45 seconds, just long enough to coat them. They need the glaze, not a long soak. If they clump, pull the pan off the heat and loosen them with chopsticks or the edge of the spatula.

7. 7

   Finish and cool

   Turn off the heat. Drizzle in the sesame oil, scatter the toasted sesame seeds, and fold everything twice. Spread the banchan in a shallow dish for 5 to 10 minutes before packing it into a container, so the glaze settles instead of trapping moisture. Serve at room temperature with rice, or refrigerate once cool.

Chef Tips

• •Buy small stir-fry anchovies labeled jiri-myeolchi or bokkeum-myeolchi. They should look silvery and whole, not dusty or yellowed. If they smell stale before the pan is even hot, my teacher would have sent them back without a word.
• •Kkwarigochu and shishito peppers are usually mild, but one in the basket may have real heat. Taste a raw tip if cooking for children, then keep the peppers whole for adults and cut them in half for a gentler table.
• •The syrup is there for cling and shine, not candy. Two teaspoons is enough for 50g anchovies. More sugar makes the dish sticky first, then dull by the second day.
• •The safe shortcut is to sift the anchovies and mix the glaze ahead. The corner you cannot cut is drying the peppers. Wet peppers slump, and no amount of sesame oil repairs that.
• •Serve this beside plain rice, doenjang-jjigae, or a simple egg dish. It is salty by design, so it should be one banchan among others, not the whole meal shouting from the plate.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovies can be sifted up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Dry-toast them just before cooking for the cleanest taste.
• •The glaze can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Stir it before using because the sugar settles.
• •The finished banchan keeps 4 to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Let it cool uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes before closing the lid, and serve it cold or at room temperature. Do not freeze it; the peppers lose their bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 50g)