Haemul Pajeon

Pajeon is a variety of jeon with scallion as its prominent ingredient, as pa means scallion. It is a Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions, and often other ingredients depending on the variety.

Haemul Pajaeon

Ingredients

  • 1-½ to 2 cups assortment of seafood squid, shrimp, mussels, oysters, clams, etc., cut into bite sizes
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 or 2 bunches scallions
  • 1 red chili pepper - optional
  • 1 egg lightly beaten – optional

Batter

  • 1 cup Korean pancake mix, buchim-garu

Dipping Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • pinch of black pepper
  • pinch of gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon sugar - optional
  • 1 tablespoon chopped scallion - optional
  • 1 tablespoon Diced onion – optional

Method

  1. Prepare the seafood, scallions and optional pepper, draining excess water. (Wet ingredients will make pajeon soggy.) Cut the scallions in half crosswise. Cut the white part of the scallions lengthwise if thick. Mix the seafood with the sesame oil.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the pancake mix with ¾ cup icy cold water. You may need a couple more tablespoons but add one tablespoon at a time. The batter should be thinner than a Western breakfast pancake batter and thicker than a crepe batter. (For a crispy pajeon, the batter should be relatively thin.) Mix in ½ of the seafood.
  3. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, ladle 1/2 of the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly into a thin round shape.
  4. Arrange the scallions in a single layer on top of the batter, pressing them down into the batter. Add 1/2 of the remaining seafood and a few slices of the optional pepper.
  5. Spoon one half of the optional lightly beaten egg on top. Cook until the bottom is golden brown (3 – 4 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium if the pancake is browning too fast.
  6. Turn it over, adding more oil (2 to 3 tablespoons) around the edges. Cook for another 3 – 4 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and ingredients. Serve hot off the pan with dipping sauce.