SEAFOOD PANCAKES

HAEMUL PAJEON

These pancakes are always a crowd-pleaser. They’re chock-full of seafood and the crisp texture is addictive. My mum used to make them with squid and prawns when guests came over. I’ve added scallops to make them extra special, but feel free to use whatever seafood you like. The pancakes are also a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you might have in the fridge. If you are using scallops, just make sure that they are very dry as any extra moisture will make for a soggy pancake.

Ingredients

115 g (4 oz) rice flour
6 tbsp self-raising flour
2 tbsp doenjang (Korean soya bean paste)
tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 large pinches of sea salt
10 large prawns, peeled, deveined, halved lengthways and patted dry
4 large diver sea scallops, muscle removed, thinly sliced horizontally and patted dry
5 spring onions, julienned
2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 fresh Korean red chillies or Fresno chillies, cut into long, thin strips
1 fresh Korean green chilli or jalapeño cut into long, thin strips
Vegetable oil, for frying
Pancake Dipping Sauce, to serve

Method

In a large bowl, gently whisk together the rice flour, self-raising flour, soya bean paste, pepper, salt and 315 ml (10 fl oz) cold water until smooth. Add the prawns, scallops, spring onions, garlic, red chillies and green chilli and stir the batter until thoroughly combined.

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium-high heat. Spoon in one third of the batter and spread it evenly to form a pancake about 18 cm (7 in) wide. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the base, about 3–4 minutes. Carefully flip and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until the other side is golden. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the frying pan as needed.

Cut the pancakes into wedges and transfer to a serving platter. Serve immediately, with the dipping sauce.

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