Korean: Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 2)

Dipping sauce ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon chili pepper flakes (Korean “gochugaru” preferred)
• 1 green onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Pajeon Ingredients:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¾ cup vegetable stock (or 1 teaspoon vegetable base dissolved in water)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (anchovy stock)
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 green onions, trimmed to 2-3 inch strips and split in half
• ½ cup medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) (or mixed seafood)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• ½ sweet red pepper, sliced

Procedure:

1. Make the dipping sauce: mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside
2. Make the batter: combine flour, cornstarch, stock, fish sauce, salt, pepper in a large bowl; mix with a whisk until smooth; mix in the shrimp
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
4. Add the green onions to the skillet and saute until soft
5. Pour batter and shrimp mixture into the skillet on top of the scallions (try to spread the shrimp around the pan evenly)
6. Add the sliced red pepper, then pour the beaten eggs over top of the pancake in the skillet
7. Cover skillet and reduce the heat to medium; cook for about 6 minutes or until the bottom is light brown and crispy
8. Turn the pancake over with a large spatula (or use another skillet as a cover, and gently flip the pancake into the second skillet)
9. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil around the edges of the skillet, then lift one edge of the pancake with your spatula and tilt the skillet so that the oil flows underneath the pancake; rotate skillet and repeat
10. Cover skillet again and cook for another 3 minutes or until bottom is nicely browned and crisp
11. Transfer to a large plate with the egg and red pepper side up (or use the plate as a cover, and gently flip the pancake on to the plate)
12. To serve: cut pancake into bite-size squares with kitchen shears; serve with dipping sauce on the side