Korean Stir-fried Dried Whitebait Sheet

Using scissors, cut 60 g of dried whitebait sheets into pieces roughly 4 cm across, or tear them by hand into bite-size chunks.

Keep the pieces uniform so they toast evenly.

Heat a dry pan over low heat and add the whitebait pieces.

Dry-toast for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the surface feels stiff and all residual moisture has left the pan.

Combine 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oligosaccharide syrup, half a tsp sugar, and half a tsp minced garlic in a small bowl. Stir until the sauce is uniformly smooth.

Pour 1 tbsp vegetable oil into the same pan and add the sauce over medium-low heat.

Cook for 30 seconds, stirring, until small bubbles form around the edges and the sauce turns fragrant.

Add the toasted whitebait pieces to the pan and toss quickly with tongs or chopsticks, flipping each piece repeatedly so both sides pick up an even coat of the glossy red sauce.

Turn off the heat and gently fold in half a tsp sesame oil and half a tbsp sesame seeds.

Allow the dish to cool completely before serving as the texture crisps further at room temperature.