Saturday, June 20, 2015

참치김치전 chamchi kimchi jeon (tuna kimchi patties)

Oh man, tuna kimchi patties.

My family is partially Korean, so a lot of my mother's recipes have been inspired by our Korean heritage. The following recipe is my mother's twist on the beloved 'chamchi kimchi jjigae' which translates to tuna kimchi stew. The stew is considered a staple in Korean cuisine and is typically served with a bowl of rice and some sides (Korean food is all about the sides).

I know tuna + kimchi may sound strange, but it's one of my favorite combinations. There's a rich, umami flavor that comes from the fish and the kimchi's acidity adds the perfect amount of brightness. It's like what pickles are to the burger. You may decide to make this and think it's nothing special, but this is comfort food to me. These tuna kimchi patties will always remind me of home and my mom.



INGREDIENTS:
2 cans/pouches tuna (lightly drained)*
1/2 firm tofu
1/2 cup soured kimchi (chopped)
1 egg
1 clove minced garlic
2-4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Safflower oil for cooking**

*I've never used fresh tuna before, but I'm sure it would make this recipe even better.  Definitely on my list of things to try and if you guys make this with fresh tuna, let me know how it turns out!  You could also use korean canned tuna, which is pre-marinated in gochujang, but I feel like that may make these cakes too salty and take away from the kimchi flavor.

**Safflower oil is a light oil that is great for pan frying foods.  It has a higher smoke point, so it reacts less quickly to oxygen and is more suitable for high temperature cooking.  If you don't have safflower oil, no need to worry, because any neutral, high smoke point oil will work.  Click the following link to read more about smoke point and oils.


DIRECTIONS:
1.) Place tuna, tofu, kimchi, and garlic in a large bowl and combine well.  Then add the egg and flour to help bind the patties together.




 2.) Heat up two tablespoons of oil in a nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Form thin patties, 3 inches in diameter, with your hands and place in them in the pan - about 2-3 minutes on each side.


3.) When patties are nicely browned and crisp, remove from the pan and let rest on a paper towel.  Heat more oil in the pan and add the next batch of patties to the pan.  Recipe makes about twelve tuna kimchi patties.  Best when served immediately.  Enjoy!



Tag me (@nowandjenn) in your photos if you tried this recipe!

xo,
jenn
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