← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 2 bunches spring onions (about 200 g), cut into 12 cm lengths, thick ends halved lengthways
• 250 g mixed seafood (squid, prawns, clams or mussels), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Red chilli, thinly sliced
• 100 g plain flour (or Korean pancake mix)
• 30 g rice flour or cornflour
• ½ tsp Salt
• 200 ml ice-cold water
• 1 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp Water
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)

Method

1. Stir the dipping sauce ingredients together and set aside.
2. Whisk the flours, salt and ice-cold water into a thin, lump-free batter, about the consistency of single cream. Do not overmix, and keep it cold.
3. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay half the spring onions in the pan side by side and pour over just enough batter to bind them.
4. Scatter half the seafood and chilli on top, drizzle over a little more batter to fill the gaps, then spoon half the beaten egg over the top.
5. Fry for 4–5 min, pressing gently with a spatula, until the underside is deep golden and crisp. Flip, add a splash more oil around the edges and cook for 3–4 min until the seafood is cooked and the second side is crisp.
6. Flip once more for 1 minute to re-crisp the first side, then slide onto a board. Repeat with the rest, cut into squares and serve hot with the dip.

Tips

• Ice-cold water and plenty of oil are the secrets to a crisp, lacy pancake rather than a chewy one.
• Leave out the seafood and egg for a vegan pajeon; contains wheat and shellfish as written.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang FutureDish