The Korean In Me

For my first blog posting, I think that it would only be appropriate for me to pay homage to my Korean heritage and to my mother for sharing all of her wonderful culinary wisdom. There is a reason why our favorite food is our "favorite" thing to eat. It is the the food that is the closest to our hearts as it is a reminder of what is home, what is love! My very favorite recipes are wrapped up in the memories of cooking with my mother or sitting at the dinner table with my family and friends. Our laughter and tears are the little sprinkle of something that makes each recipe even more special. This is the reason why I am starting my blog, I not only want to share with the world the recipes that make warms my heart, but to share with everyone the nostalgia of my culinary experiences.

To initiate my first post,  I want to share with everyone one of my favorite Korean dishes, called Haemul Pajeon. Haemul Pajeon is a Korean seafood and scallion pancake made with rice flour. Every time I eat these savory pancakes, that are crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside, I am time warped back into the little Korean village of Dong-Du Chon where my mother's family lived just 30 miles south of  Seoul, Korea. On the weekends, when my mother took my sister and I to visit my grandparents, we would walk to the heart of the village where the market was located. Once at the market, my nose would immediately take in the aroma of Korean spices. Colorful displays of meats, vegetables, Korean cakes, and pastries would be laid out in front of me like an artist palette. And hanging from the rafters, toys would dance with the wind begging to be played with. I always loved the market and I never minded how long my mother took to complete here shopping because I knew at the end of the trip, my sister and I would be rewarded by one of these savory pancakes. Ahh, I can taste it now. I hope that you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do. 

Haemul Pajeon

Serving size: 2 large pancakes

INGREDIENTS:


BATTER:
1 cup Korean pancake mix (or 3/4 flour, 2 tablespoons rice (or sweet rice) flour, 2 tablespoons potato or cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon ginger finely minced 
1 egg, lightly beaten, split in half (optional)

FILLING:
1-1/2 cups assortment of seafood (squid, shrimp, mussels, oysters, clams, etc.), cut into bite sizes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 bunch (or 2 if small) scallions, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 red chili pepper, thinly sliced – optional
1/2 green chili pepper, thinly sliced – optional
1 egg, lightly beaten - optional

DIPPING SAUCE:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of black pepper
pinch of gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix the pancake mix with 3/4 cup icy cold water and the egg. Add a little more water until the batter is slightly thick but still runny. (For crispy pajeon, the batter should be relatively thin.) 

Prepare the seafood, scallions, and optional peppers, draining the excess water. (Wet ingredients will make pajeon soggy.) Mix the seafood with the sesame oil.

Mix in 2/3 of the seafood into the batter.

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, ladle 1/2 of the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly into a thin round shape.

Arrange the scallions in a single layer on top of the batter, and add 1/2 of the remaining seafood and a few slices of the optional peppers.

Spoon one half of the optional lightly beaten egg on top. Cook until the bottom is golden brown (3 – 4 minutes), and turn it over, adding more oil (2 to 3 tablespoons). Turn up the heat briefly to medium high to crisp up the pancakes.

Press it down with a spatula, and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and ingredients. Serve hot off the pan with dipping sauce.

Optional method

You can mix everything with the batter and follow the direction above for pan-frying.

ENJOY! xoxo

Theresa

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