Seafood Pajeon Korean Pancake

This dish is always a crowd pleaser. It is chock-full of seafood and the crisp texture is addictive. My mom used to make this dish with squid for special occasions when guests came over. I've added scallops in my version to make them extra special. But, feel free to put whatever you like in these pancakes. They even take leftovers well (any vegetables in the fridge can be tossed in).
  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 3 pancakes
  • Total: 45 min
  • Active: 45 min
Share This Recipe

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon crushed toasted sesame seeds

2 spring onions or scallions, finely diced

Batter:

1 1/3 cups (300 milliliters) cold water

2/3 cup (100 grams) rice flour

7 tablespoons (55 grams) self-rising flour

2 tablespoons dwenjang (Korean soybean paste)

10 grinds black pepper

3 large pinches kosher salt or sea salt

10 jumbo tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, butterflied and dried well on paper towels (6 ounces/170 grams prepped weight)

5 spring onions or scallions, julienned

4 large diver scallops (6 ounces/170 grams), muscles removed, thinly sliced and dried well on paper towels

2 red chiles, cut into long thin strips, with seeds

2 large cloves garlic, grated

1 green chile, cut into long thin strips, with seeds

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

  1. For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, gochugaru, sesame oil, sesame seeds and spring onions and set aside.
  2. For the batter: In a large bowl, gently whisk together the water, rice flour, self-rising flour, dwenjang, black pepper and salt until smooth. Add the prawns, spring onions, scallops, red chiles, garlic and green chiles and mix to coat well and evenly.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, spoon in one-third of the batter and spread out evenly to make a rectangular pancake measuring about 6 by 7 inches (15 by 18 centimeters). Fry until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over carefully and cook until the other side is golden, another 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Working in batches, make 2 more pancakes, drizzling in more oil as necessary, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per pancake, and adjusting the heat down as needed.
  4. Cut the pancakes into pieces of desired size and transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Fudge Factor

Sifted: Plan-Ahead Valentine's Day Desserts Feb 6, 2013

By: Lauren Miyashiro

Get our take on the best in food news, recipes and more from around the web, including the best Valentine's Day recipes.

Review: Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Chocolate Bar Nov 16, 2012

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert have teamed up with master chocolatier Christopher Curtin to create the "Good & Evil" chocolate b …

The Craziest Chocolate Creations for American Chocolate Week Mar 17, 2013

It’s officially American Chocolate Week. Check out photos of mind-blowing chocolate creations.

Over-the-Top-Delicious Treats to Satisfy Your Food Obsession

Are you infatuated with ice cream? Do you lust over lobster? Swoon at the sight of chocolate? Here's the best recipe for each food …

Train Frontman Pat Monahan's Dark Chocolate Obsession Feb 11, 2013

By: Cameron Curtis

Train frontman Pat Monahan, an avid chocolate lover, shared with us his top five reasons for eating dark chocolate.

Chocolate Desserts

Indulge in our decadent chocolate desserts, from cookies and cakes to puddings, souffles and truffles.

Essentials: Chocolate Basics Sep 1, 2016

Satisfy that chocolate craving in your very own kitchen. All you need is baking chocolate and a little know-how. It also helps to …