Seafood Pancake

10 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

TasteToronto

This is not your average pancake but just as easy to make! Haemul pajeon is a savoury, colourful and textural experience. Each bite should be “crispy chewy” -- crispy from the fried edges and chewy on the inside with bits of delicious seafood. Dip it in the spicy soy dipping sauce and enjoy! This recipe can be made gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour for your gluten-free flour of choice and replacing the soy sauce with tamari.

Haemul pajeon is a very popular dish in Korea, often paired with soju or makgeolli (Korean fizzy rice wine). Perfect for a rainy, cold day. “Haemul” means seafood, “pa” means scallion and “jeon” is often translated to “pancake.”

Watch the haemul pajeon tutorial on Kimchi Korea House's Instagram for more helpful tips from Mama Lee!

Ingredients

Seafood Pancake

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 scallions, bias cut into 2” pieces
5 ounces mixed seafood (shrimp, mussels, scallops, squid, etc.), chopped
Vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1/4 of a red pepper, thinly sliced

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water (or to taste)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 gochugaru (Korean red chili)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Dipping Sauce

1 Steps

Step 1

Combine soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil, white sugar, sesame oil, gochugaru and toasted sesame seeds in a bowl. Add water to taste (for seasoning, as brands of soy sauce can vary in saltiness).

Seafood Pancake

11 Steps

Step 1

Combine the flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and onion powder in a mixing bowl.
Step 2

Add mixed seafood and scallions.
Step 3

Mix everything together, slowly adding cold water until batter consistency is slightly thicker than crepe batter. For a crispier pancake, the batter should be thinner than “Canadian-style” pancakes. You can watch Kimchi Korea House's Instagram tutorial to get an idea of the consistency you’re looking for! We suggest starting with 1/2 cup of water and adjusting from there. Add more potato starch if you’ve added too much water.
Step 4

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Before following the next few steps to make a full pancake, we recommend making a small test pancake for seasoning and consistency.
Step 5

When oil is hot, pour the batter into the pan and distribute evenly.
Step 6

Working quickly, arrange red pepper slices in a circular pattern on the pancake (this will be the “presentation” side).
Step 7

Spoon the beaten egg on top of the pancake, distributing evenly.
Step 8

Cook until the bottom of the pancake is golden brown (approximately 3-5 minutes). Lower the heat if the bottom is browning too fast.
Step 9

Flip the pancake (with resolve – the pancake can sense fear!) and add more oil around the edges of the pancake (this will encourage crispy edges to form).
Step 10

Cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown, occasionally pressing down gently on the pancake with a spatula. Move the pan every so often so that the pancake cooks evenly and doesn’t burn in any one spot.
Step 11

Cut the pancake and serve (egg and red pepper side up) with dipping sauce.