Bungeoppang

A thin batter in a fish-shaped mould filled halfway, the paste laid in, and more batter poured over before it is closed.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (butter), dairy (milk).

Ingredients

For the batter

• 200 g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 300 ml milk
• 20 g butter, melted

To fill

• 300 g sweetened red bean paste
• oil, for the mould

Method

1. THE MOULD IS FILLED HALFWAY, THE PASTE LAID IN, AND MORE BATTER POURED OVER. Three movements, in that order, and they are the recipe. Batter to halfway up each fish, a line of bean paste along the middle keeping clear of the edges, then batter over the top to just below the rim. Paste dropped onto a full mould sinks to the bottom and sticks there, and when the mould is turned the fish tears in half.
2. THE PASTE MUST NOT REACH THE EDGES. A 1 cm clear border all round, or it bleeds into the seam, caramelises against the hot metal and glues the two halves of the mould shut.
3. THE MOULD IS HOT AND OILED BEFORE THE FIRST DROP OF BATTER, and oiled again every two or three fish. Brushed into every groove -- the tail and fins are where it sticks and where it tears.
4. AND IT IS TURNED EARLY AND OFTEN. Thirty seconds on the first side, then turned, then every thirty seconds or so for three or four minutes. Left on one side it browns unevenly and the batter runs to the low edge.
5. THE BATTER IS THIN AND IS RESTED. Rested half an hour it flows into the detail of the mould; mixed and used at once it is lumpy and the fish comes out with blank patches where the fins should be.
6. Flour, cornflour, baking powder, sugar and salt whisked together.
7. The egg, milk and melted butter whisked in to a thin smooth batter, barely thicker than single cream.
8. PASSED THROUGH A SIEVE and RESTED 30 MINUTES.
9. The bean paste divided into 10 portions and rolled into short logs.
10. The mould heated over a medium heat and brushed thoroughly with oil, into every groove.
11. Batter poured into each fish to HALFWAY.
12. A log of paste laid along the middle, keeping 1 cm clear of the edges.
13. More batter poured OVER, to just below the rim.
14. The mould closed and cooked 30 seconds, then turned and cooked, turning every 30 seconds, 3 to 4 MINUTES in all, until deep gold.
15. Opened, the fish lifted out with a skewer, and any batter frill trimmed off. Eaten hot; the mould re-oiled for the next pair.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under South Korea · All recipes