Korean Style Seasoned Pan Fried Fish Recipe- Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, and Delicious

After five weeks without having even a moment at home without any kids present, I finally had a weekend to myself when the kids went to their dad. While they were gone I made the decision to make myself a Korean feast, not considering before I made each dish if my kids would like it, but just picking out what I wanted to make and eat. 

I spent a long time on Maangchi's site perusing recipes and eventually decided on a menu. Almost everything I made for my feast was inspired by her recipes but as usual for my style of cooking I didn't follow even a single one of her recipes as is, but I changed them to suit my tastes and available ingredients, while trying to stay true to the authentic taste. This recipe for example is based off of her recipe using fried fluke slices, but I chose to use tilapia /st Peter's fish fillets, and adjusted the sauce ingredients as well. 

I usually try to include the name when making a recipe from another culture, but since I changed the recipe I'm not sure if Maangchi's name Gajami yangnyeom-twigim in Korean still applies here. 

It tasted heavenly freshly made but still maintained its deliciousness as leftovers. As much as I enjoyed every dish I made for my feast, this recipe by far was the star of the evening. I highly recommend it. 

This recipe is suitable for many different diets. It is gluten free, egg free, dairy free, pescetarian, and can be made soy free as well. While I used sugar, feel free to use any other sweetener you prefer.

Korean Pan Fried Fish Recipe- Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, and Delicious

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets or other similar sized white fish fillets.
Potato starch or corn starch 
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying 
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos

1/2 cup water divided
1/4-1/3 cup sugar, coconut sugar, or sweetener of choice (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons potato or corn starch
2 green onions

Instructions:

1. Mix potato or corn starch with salt and dip your fish in it so that it has a nice thick coat all over. 

2. Heat up a layer of oil in a frying pan at least one centimeter deep on a medium/high heat. 

3. Put your fish in the hot oil completely flat, as many as can fit in your frying pan at a time without overlapping them. Do not move or disturb them until you can see the edges start to brown. This should take a few minutes.

4. Flip over your fish to cook and get crispy on the other side. This can take as little as a minute, and feel free to check on it to see if it browned enough.

5. Mince or chop your garlic finely (I like using the smallest holes on my grater for this). 

6. In another pot, try it and your sesames up in 2 tablespoons oil until the garlic starts to get golden brown.

7. Add soy sauce, part of the water, sugar or a different sweetener, and sesame oil and bring to a boil.

8. Add the hot pepper flakes and adjust to taste.

9. Chop your scallions. 

10. Mix your starch with the rest of your water (feel free to use the starch that was left over from coating your fish) and pour it and the scallions into the pot. 

11. Mix, cooking until thick.

12. Dip your fish piece by piece into the sauce, or brush the sauce onto your fish with a silicon brush, coating both sides. If you like things extra flavorful you might want to double your sauce to have extra.

13. Serve either hot or cold- yes, it is also good cold!

Enjoy!

What is your favorite way to prepare fish? Does this look like a recipe you'd try? What type of fish would you use for it?