Eomandu is thinly sliced white fish fillet (croaker, sea bream, flatfish or gray mullet) that is stuffed with beef and vegetables, coated with starch, then steamed. The white fish fillet as dumpling skin is unique, light and sweet in taste. It was originally a summer dish but now people enjoy it on special occasions year-round.

Ingredients

● 3 white fillet fish (croaker, codfish, frozen pollack) slices 

● 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

● 70g minced beef (top round), 3 sheets brown oak mushrooms, 4g Jew’s ear mushrooms

● seasoning sauce: 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp minced green onion, 1/4 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sesame salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

● 1/2 a cucumber, 1/4 tsp salt

● 100g mung bean sprouts, 5 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt

● 1 cup starch, 2 tsp pine nuts

● 10 cups steaming water, 1 tbsp edible oil

● vinegar soy sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp water, 1/2 tbsp powdered pine nuts

● mustard juice: 1/2 tbsp fermented mustard, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp honey, 15g broth (or 1 tbsp water )

1. Cut and slice the fish fillets into 7 cm-square and 0.3 cm-thick pieces, sprinkle salt and ground white pepper on it, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Pad dry with a cloth.

2. Clean any excess blood off the minced beef, season with half of the seasoning sauce.

3. Soak the mushrooms in water for 1 hour, remove stems of the brown oak mushrooms and shred. Rip up the Jew’s ear mushrooms into small pieces, season with the remaining half of the seasoning sauce.

4. Wash and clean cucumber by rubbing with salt, cut into 2 cm-long pieces, and peel the skin. Slice finely. Marinate with salt for 10 minutes. Dry. Remove tails of mung bean sprouts and wash.

5. Blend vinegar soy sauce and mustard juice.

6. Preheat the frying pan and oil. Stir-fry the beef, brown oak mushrooms and Jew’s ear mushrooms for 2 minutes. respectively on medium heat.

7. Preheat the frying pan and oil. Stir-fry the cucumber on high heat for 10 seconds maintaining green color, and turn down heat.

8. Pour water in the pot and heat it up for 5 minutes on high heat. When it boils, add salt and mung bean sprouts, scald for 2 minutes. Drain water and chop finely.

9. Mix beef, mushrooms, cucumber and mung bean sprouts to make the filling.

10. Pat dry the sliced fish fillet and coat inside with starch. Put 10g of filling on the sliced fillet, add two pine nuts. Close it up and coat with starch all over the surface.

11. Pour water in the steaming pot and heat it up for 9 minutes on high heat. When it boils, place the fish dumplings on the damp cotton cloths and steam it for 5 minutes. Serve with vinegar soy sauce and mustard juice.

Tips

● Thinner slices of fillet may make the job easier and better shape.

● Two frozen pollack (4kg) may be enough for 4 servings.

(Adapted from the Institute of Traditional Korean Food)