Korean Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)
Recreate the authentic Korean seafood pancake in your kitchen with all the savory flavors, a soft interior, and a crispy outside that you will surely love!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 cup seafood mix ((*Footnote 1))
- 9 to 12 green onions (, sliced in half lengthwise and cut in half (*Footnote 2))
- 1 egg (, beaten)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ((or 1 clove minced garlic))
- 1/4 tsp white pepper ((or black pepper))
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons ice water ((*Footnote 3))
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce ((or regular soy sauce))
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic (, minced)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese chili flakes
Instructions
- 1
Combine the dry ingredients of the batter in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly stir in the water and mix with a spatula until it forms a smooth, runny batter that can just coat the back of a spoon. Add a bit more water if the batter is still a bit thick and mix again.
- 2
Mix the dipping sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot.
- 4
Add half of the green onions to the pan in a single even layer, forming a rectangle about 7” by 9” (18 cm by 23 cm).
- 5
Drizzle about 4 tablespoon of batter evenly over the green onions.
- 6
Spread 1/3 cup of seafood mix evenly across the pancake and drizzle another 2 to 4 tablespoons of batter evenly over the seafood.
- 7
Turn the heat to medium and allow the pancake to cook for 1 minute.
- 8
Add about a third of the beaten egg over the pancake and spread it with a brush or a spoon to form an even layer.
- 9
Cook the pancake for another 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally checking underneath, until it is browned and crisp.
- 10
In one fluid motion, flip the pancake using a spatula (or two spatulas). It may be necessary to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan.
- 11
Cook the pancake until the seafood side is browned and cooked through, another 2 to 4 minutes.
- 12
Turn the pancake out onto a cutting board and slice into 9 squares or 8 triangles.
- 13
Add more to the pan and repeat steps 4 through 11 to cook the remaining two pancakes.
- 14
Serve hot with the dipping sauce on the side as an appetizer or main.