How to Make Korean Seafood and Scallion Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)
Pancakes: Korean Style
Pancakes were one of my favorite dishes growing up. Not just the kind you douse with maple syrup, but the savory type that is a common side dish in many Korean households. In its simplest form , it’s vegetables or seafood coated in flour and egg and then pan-fried with oil. It is then served with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce. I have made two variations of jeon (Korean word for pancake) for HGTVGardens.
>>Click here for the Summer Squash Pancake recipe.
>>Click here for the Savory Pumpkin Pancake recipe.
Seafood and Vegetables
Currently, the only vegetables thriving in our winter garden happens to be scallions, chives and few other herbs. I got a craving for some Korean food and wanted something a little hardier than the traditional scallion pancake (Pajeon). So, as luck would have it, I had a bag of frozen, mixed seafood in the freezer. Haemul Pajeon (translation: Seafood Scallion Pancake) it is!
Here’s What You Need:
Other ingredients and tools:
- Canola oil (for frying)
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Non-stick frying pan
The Steps
Make the dipping sauce first. Trust me, once this baby is done, you’ll want your dipping sauce at the ready!
Mix the all purpose flour with water. The goal is to make a semi-loose batter. Mix it well: make sure that there aren’t any lumps. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if the batter seems too thick (don’t worry, I did not forget the beaten egg…that will come in later).
Add in the vegetables and seafood; gently fold in until coated with the batter. Preheat your frying pan with a couple tablespoons of canola oil.
Pour the batter into the frying pan. Spread the batter out evenly in the fry pan. After a minute or so (when the batter is set) give the pan a shake to ensure that the batter is not stuck to the pan.
Another minute or two (once the batter has set), pour the beaten egg over the surface of the pancake. You may have to tilt the pan to even out the egg. Cook for another couple of minutes.
Gently lift a corner of the pancake with a turner to see if it is brown and crispy. If so, go ahead and flip it. If it breaks apart on you a little, no worries. Press down on the pancake with your turner; the egg will help mend the cracks.
After a another minute or so, it’s done. Slide it out on a plate and serve it warm with the soy dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 oz mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, squid, etc.)
- 5-6 scallions or green onions
- 1 bunch of chives, chopped
- 1/2 cut of matchstick carrots
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup water
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2-3 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp hot pepper flakes (or hot sauce with garlic), optional
Instructions
- Mix sauce ingredients in a small dish and set aside.
- Cut the scallions in half and then lengthwise, then cut into 1” pieces, set aside.
- Chop the chives, set aside.
- Chop the mixed seafood into bite-sized pieces, set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the ½ cup of All Purpose flour with the ½ cup water. Mix well until a thin batter is formed. You can add a drop more water if needed. The batter should be thin enough to coat the vegetables and seafood thoroughly without too much excess.
- Add the vegetables and seafood into the batter and mix well.
- Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the oil.
- Add the batter and spread evenly.
- Once the batter has set, pour the beaten egg over the pancake.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes until the edges of the cake begin to brown, then flip.
- Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until the other side is browned and crispy.
- Remove and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
