Junchi-mandu (Shad Dumplings)

About the dish

Junchi-mandu turns bony shad into a delicacy: the flesh is picked clean, dusted with starch and shaped into dumplings. As the saying goes, 'even spoiled, junchi is junchi' — its flavor makes it a summer treat at Dano, when the fish is at its best.

Key ingredient

Shad (junchi) — a sweet, rich oily fish prized for flavor but full of fine bones, so the flesh is picked and reshaped. In season May-June, from the west and south coasts.

Ingredients

Main: shad, starch, ginger, scallion, egg · Seasoning: salt, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil

Simple recipe

1. Lightly steam the shad and pick the flesh free of every fine bone.
2. Season with salt, ginger juice, scallion and pepper.
3. Shape into rounds and coat evenly in starch.
4. Steam briefly over high heat.
5. Cool and serve with vinegar-soy dipping sauce.

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A Glass · Traditional pairing