Jukkumi bokkeum — spicy small octopus stir-fry
Small webfoot octopus tossed with vegetables in a bold chili sauce. Dry the seafood well and cook in a wide hot pan for a springy, tender result.
AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.
Ingredients
2 servings
Everyday kitchen measurements
For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).
How to fill the cup and spoons
Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.
King Arthur Baking-
Substitute available
If Cleaned small webfoot octopus is unavailable
- Use instead
- Cleaned squid
- Substitute quantity
- ½ of a 600 g packReference quantity: 300 g
Use half of a 600 g pack. Cut the body into 2 cm strips and divide the tentacles. Skip the octopus blanching step; add squid after the vegetables and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until fully opaque. The shape and texture will differ.
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Optional
Omit the onion from the vegetable preparation and pan. The dish will be slightly less sweet and have fewer vegetables; keep the other amounts unchanged.
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Optional
Omit the carrot from the cutting and vegetable stir-fry steps. The dish will lose some sweetness and color; no change to the sauce is needed.
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Optional
Omit the spring onion where it is added. The dish will have less fresh onion aroma; other amounts and cooking time stay the same.
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Essential
This fermented chili paste gives the dish its characteristic flavor. Use a mild version for less heat. Hot sauce alone is not an equivalent replacement.
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Substitute available
If Soy sauce is unavailable
- Use instead
- Tamari
- Substitute quantity
- 1 level eating spoonReference quantity: 15 ml
Use the same spoon amount in the sauce. Choose a similar salt level; do not add extra salt. Check labels if avoiding wheat.
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Substitute available
If Sugar is unavailable
- Use instead
- Honey
- Substitute quantity
- 1 level eating spoonReference quantity: 15 ml
Use the same spoon amount. The sauce will be more moist; simmer briefly to coat the food, and keep the heat gentle once the sweet sauce is added. Do not serve honey to infants under 12 months.
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Substitute available
If Minced garlic is unavailable
- Use instead
- Garlic powder
- Substitute quantity
- ½ small teaspoonReference quantity: about 1 g
Mix the powder into the sauce or broth instead of the fresh garlic. Do not use garlic salt.
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Optional
Omit these flakes from the sauce for less heat. Keep the gochujang and all other amounts unchanged.
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Substitute available
If Neutral cooking oil is unavailable
- Use instead
- Sunflower oil
- Substitute quantity
- 2 small teaspoonsReference quantity: 10 ml
Use the same spoon amount at the same cooking step.
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Optional
You may omit this finishing oil at the last step. The dish will have less nutty aroma; the cooking time and other amounts stay the same.
Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.
Step-by-step cooking
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Step 1
Clean and drain the octopus. Use half of a 600 g pack of small webfoot octopus. For an uncleaned octopus, turn the head pouch inside out and remove the organs; cut away the eyes and remove the hard beak at the center of the arms. Rinse briefly under cold water and drain. Keep each small octopus whole, or halve larger ones. Pat dry. Cut ½ onion into wedges, ½ small carrot into thin strips, and 1 spring onion into short lengths.
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Step 2
Make the sauce. Stir together 2 level eating spoons gochujang, 1 level eating spoon soy sauce, 1 level eating spoon sugar and 2 small teaspoons minced garlic. Add the optional 1 small teaspoon gochugaru. Mix until smooth. No extra water is needed because the vegetables and seafood release moisture.
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Step 3
Briefly blanch the octopus. Bring a pot of plain water to a full boil; use enough to cover the octopus. Add the octopus for 20–30 seconds, just until the arms begin to curl, then drain immediately. This is only a preliminary blanch, not the complete cooking step. Shake off water and pat the surface dry. If using the squid replacement, skip this step.
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Step 4
Stir-fry the vegetables. Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat with 2 small teaspoons oil. Add the onion and carrot and stir for 2 minutes. Keep the vegetables moving; the carrot should start to soften but retain a little bite. Do not cover the pan.
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Step 5
Cook the octopus in the sauce. Add the drained octopus and all the sauce. Stir-fry briskly for 2–3 minutes. Add the spring onion for the last 30 seconds. The octopus should be fully opaque, its arms curled and its flesh springy throughout. If still raw-looking, continue briefly; avoid prolonged simmering, which makes it tough. If your pan is small, cook half the vegetables, seafood and sauce at a time.
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Step 6
Finish promptly. Turn off the heat and stir in the optional 1 small teaspoon sesame oil. Transfer to a plate immediately so the seafood does not keep cooking in the hot pan. Serve with plain rice if desired. This is a spicy adult-style dish; reducing the optional chili flakes helps, but the gochujang still adds heat.
Finished dish
Small webfoot octopus is a small species, not a cut-up piece of large octopus. Large octopus needs a different tenderizing method and is not a direct replacement here. Plain cleaned frozen seafood is convenient; thaw in a bowl in the refrigerator and discard the thawing liquid. Use a wide pan, drain well and do not cover while stir-frying. If liquid gathers, serve the small amount of sauce with the food rather than simmering the seafood for a long time. Check seafood and sauce labels for allergens. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use cooked seafood within 3–4 days.