Korean-Style Carp Heh at Home
A spicy, stunningly tasty appetizer of fresh fish! Carp heh is easy to make, and the result is gorgeous. Fans of Korean-style appetizers and salads will definitely love heh! This fish goes perfectly with boiled, fried, or baked potatoes.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make carp heh at home? Gather everything on the list. Use freshly caught, live fish. You can use frozen carp - in that case, take the fish out of the freezer ahead of time and leave it at room temperature until fully thawed.
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Step 2:
Peel the onion and garlic, rinse, and dry. Get the spices ready.
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Step 3:
Scale the carp, gut it, and cut off the head, tail, and fins. Cut the carcass lengthwise along the backbone into two halves, then cut each half into small serving strips.
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Step 4:
Put the fish in any non-reactive container - I usually use a food container. Salt it.
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Step 5:
Pour in the vinegar and mix everything well. The pieces will start to turn white before your eyes - that means the marinating and curing process is in full swing. Cover the fish with a flat saucer, press it down against the bottom of the container, and leave it to marinate this way for 40-60 minutes.
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Step 6:
Slice the onion into thin half rings, and chop the garlic finely by hand or put it through a garlic press.
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Step 7:
After the allotted time, the fish has released its juices. You can drain them or leave them - I usually leave them. Add half the chopped onion and the garlic to the container.
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Step 8:
Mix everything well again, press it down with a saucer, cover with a lid, and leave it for half an hour.
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Step 9:
Meanwhile, prepare the fragrant dressing. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the odorless vegetable oil. Add the remaining onion and fry it. Cook, stirring, until the rings start to brown. Add the ground coriander, paprika, and hot pepper. Turn off the stove right away and stir the contents of the pan well. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. During this time the oil will cool slightly and soak up the aromas of the dry seasonings.
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Step 10:
Pour the soy sauce and the spiced oil into the container where the fish is marinating.
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Step 11:
Mix everything carefully, trying not to damage the pieces of fish. Cover the container with a lid and put it in the fridge to marinate for at least overnight.
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Step 12:
The carp heh is ready! Serve!
- Enjoy!
- To keep your eyes from stinging when you cut onions, rinse the onion and the knife with cold water. The cutting board won't soak up the unpleasant onion smell if you rub it with a piece of lemon before cutting.
- Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, acidity, and spice is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste! If you're using a seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for example).
- Use oil with a high smoke point for frying! Any oil is good only up to a certain temperature - the smoke point, at which the oil starts to burn and toxic substances, including carcinogens, form in it. Unrefined oils, with rare exceptions, have a low smoke point. They contain a lot of unfiltered organic particles that quickly start to burn. Refined oils are more heat-resistant and have a higher smoke point. If you're going to cook in the oven, in a skillet, or on a grill, make sure you use an oil with a high smoke point. The most common high-smoke-point oils: refined sunflower, olive, and grapeseed.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Onion - 41 kcal/100g
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Soy sauce - 51 kcal/100g
- Wine vinegar (3%) - 9 kcal/100g
- 9% vinegar - 11 kcal/100g
- Balsamic vinegar - 88 kcal/100g
- Apple cider vinegar - 14 kcal/100g
- Vinegar - 11 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil - 873 kcal/100g
- Azov carp - 121 kcal/100g
- Caspian carp - 97 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Ground hot pepper - 21 kcal/100g
- Paprika - 289 kcal/100g
- Ground coriander - 25 kcal/100g
