Kujaku (Oita Egg-Stuffed Fried Fish Cake)

Quick answer

Total time: 80 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 20 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Kujaku is a festive dish from the Kamae area of Saiki, Oita, made by enclosing boiled eggs in seasoned white-fish paste and cutting each cooked parcel lengthwise.

Finely ground fish such as lizardfish or croaker is kneaded with salt, sugar, and egg white until springy. The boiled egg whites are tinted red and the surrounding fish paste green, producing green, red, white, and yellow rings that recall the markings of a peacock feather. Steaming is the older preparation, while a quickly fried version is now common. This recipe fries the parcels gently enough to cook the fish layer through without making it tough, then cools them briefly before slicing. The colorful halves are served at New Year meals, celebrations, and special lunch boxes.

Ingredients (20 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
boneless skinless white fish	2000	g
salt	35	g
sugar	125	g
egg white	1	piece
hard-boiled eggs	10	piece
red and green food coloring	2	g
water for coloring	100	ml
oil for deep-frying	2000	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Heat

Peel 10 hard-boiled eggs and dry their surfaces.

Dissolve 1g red coloring in 50ml water, roll the eggs in it until the whites are evenly tinted, and leave them on a rack to dry.
2

Prep

Check 2kg white fish by touch for any remaining pin bones, then cut it into 2cm pieces.

Process in batches until it becomes a smooth paste with almost no visible pieces.
3

Season

Knead 35g salt into the fish paste for 4 minutes until tacky.

Add 125g sugar and 1 egg white, knead for 3 more minutes, then gradually mix in 1g green coloring dissolved in 50ml water.
4

Step

Wet your hands with cold water and divide the fish paste into 10 portions.

Flatten one portion into an 8mm-thick round, set an egg on it, seal the paste completely around the egg, and rest for 10 minutes.
5

Heat

Heat 2000ml oil in a deep pot to 165°C.

Fry two parcels at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often for even color, and confirm the center of the fish layer reaches at least 75°C.
6

Prep

Drain the fried kujaku on a rack and cool for 10 minutes.

Moisten the knife blade, cut each kujaku lengthwise in half, and arrange the cut faces upward.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Boiled eggs enclosed in springy seasoned white-fish paste
Finish cue: Drain the fried kujaku on a rack and cool for 10 minutes.
Avoid this: This recipe fries the parcels gently enough to cook the fish layer through without making it tough, then cools them briefly before slicing.
Substitution: Warm paste loses springiness, so process the fish in batches instead of all at once.