Condiment-ally delicious!
Some food takes a long time to become delicious. We’re talking chicken curries, beef stews, pork ragu: all deliciously saucy meals that earn their deep rich flavor through hours of stovetop simmering.
There’s no denying that anything cooked low and slow is DELICIOUS. But sometimes, we don’t have hours to develop deliciousness. We need dinner in under an hour and we want it to be just as flavorful as if it had been simmering all day.
In moments like these, I reach for the condiments: those innocent little jars hiding in your fridge door that are essentially flavor bombs in disguise. Soy sauce, gochujang, miso paste, pickles . . . you name it. These condiments roll into your kitchen like a circus rolling into town, bringing a punch of ready-made umami, spice or acid to whatever dish you’re cooking.
Just like they did with these fish cakes.
Kimchi and gochujang transform an otherwise-ordinary fish cake into a punchy, flavorful dinner. These Kimchi Fish Cakes boast large chunks of flaky white fish, spiced with that bright, funkilicious kimchi, as well as a golden-brown crust that’s crispy-crunchy and deliciously satisfying. A dollop of cool charred scallion mayo perfectly rounds out the acidity and spice, turning it into a fantastically addictive dish that will keep you going back for one bite after another.
A note on Kimchi and Gochujang:
Kimchi is a Korean fermented cabbage, similar to German sauerkraut, but seasoned and spiced with gochujang, which is a Korean fermented chili paste.
Both kimchi and gochujang are available at most grocery stores these days (in mine, it’s with the tofu in the organic section). If you have the option to purchase spicy or mild kimchi, I recommend buying the spiciest version: there’s only ¼ cup in the entire recipe, and the flavor becomes easily diluted. In fact, I even found that the spiciest kind was not quite punchy enough, which is why I recommend adding the 2 teaspoons of gochujang as well to ensure that punch of flavor! If you have any doubts about the heat level, taste the kimchi before adding it to the mix. If it’s not absolutely blowing your head off, consider adding the gochujang too.
Many of these flavor-bomb ingredients are familiar enough; others, not so much (see kimchi, fish sauce, and miso paste!). Regardless of whether you’ve tried them before or even know which grocery store aisle you’ll find them in, don’t be intimidated. Pick one, buy a jar, and just experiment. Whisk some miso into your next vinaigrette. Add a smidge of harissa to your mayo. You might be surprised at what deliciousness ensues—I know I was when I tried the kimchi in these fish cakes!
Enjoy!
Kimchi Fish Cakes
Makes 4 (dinner-sized) cakes
For the charred scallion mayo:
4 scallions, cut into 4-6-inch pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
½ cup mayonnaise
For the fish cakes:
8 oz raw flaky white fish fillets (cod, flounder, tilapia)
Vegetable oil
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
2 ½ tbsp mayo
¼ cup kimchi, finely chopped
2 tsp gochugang (opt or to taste)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
½ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
Special equipment: baking sheet, foil (optional), cooling rack (optional)
Method
For the charred scallion mayo:
Preheat an aluminum or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When oil is hot enough to “ripple” over the pan’s surface, add the scallions—they should sizzle. Sear, turning occasionally, until charred on both sides. Remove and blot to remove excess oil. Let cool, then finely chop.
In a bowl, stir together mayo, salt, and sliced cooled scallions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the fish cakes:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub fish all over with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet (lining with foil will make clean-up easy). Sprinkle with salt and bake until the fish is opaque and will easily flake apart. Remove and let cool, then flake into inch-sized pieces with a fork.
Whisk together egg, mayo, kimchi, and scallion in a large mixing bowl until combined. Fold in panko and flaked fish delicately, to preserve the integrity of the chunks. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours so the mixture can meld.
To cook, remove fish cake mix from the refrigerator and form into 4 even-sized patties. Press panko bread crumbs into the top and bottom of each cake and season with salt.
Heat about ¼ inch oil in a heavy-bottom metal or cast-iron pan. When the oil is hot enough for a bread crumb to sizzle in it, add the fish cakes. (Depending on the size of the pan, you may need to do this in batches.) Cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook until golden-brown on the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or a cooling rack to drain; season immediately with kosher salt.
Serve warm with scallion mayo.
Originally posted March 11, 2021.