Eochae is a dish of parboiled white fish fillets and vegetables with starch coating that are color-coordinated and placed around a dish. It is served with a vinegar red pepper paste sauce. Because it is a chilled dish, milder white flesh fish, such as gray mullet or croaker, should be used.

Ingredients

● 300g croaker, salt, ground white pepper

● 50g cucumber, 20g red pepper, 15g brown oak mushrooms, 2g stone mushrooms

● 30g mung bean starch

● 60g egg

● 5g pine nuts

● 5cups water 

Vinegar red pepper paste:

● 2 tbsp red pepper paste, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tbsp sugar

1.Remove the scales of the croaker and wash. Slice fillets from both sides of the croaker, peel the skin off. Wipe off water, and cut fillets into 3 cm-wide, 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-thick strips. Marinate them with salt and ground white pepper for 10 min.

2. Wash and slice cucumber.

3. Panfry egg for garnish strips, cut to same size as cucumber.

4. Mix cucumber, red pepper, brown oak mushrooms, stone mushrooms and croaker slices with mung bean starch thoroughly.

5. Pour water into the pot, heat it up for 5 min. on high heat. When it boils, scald cucumber, red pepper, brown oak mushrooms and stone mushrooms for 30 sec., respectively. When the starch becomes clear, take them out, cool them down in water, and drain. Scald the slices of croaker for 1 min. When the starch becomes clear, take them out, cool them down in water, and drain.

6. Place the croaker slices, cucumber, red pepper, brown oak mushrooms and stone mushrooms on a dish in a circle, top with pine nuts in the center.

7. Serve with vinegar red pepper paste.

Tip

● White flesh, such as sea bream and flat fish are recommendable for this dish.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)