Korean Seafood Pancake (Haemul Pajeon)
Korean seafood pancake or haemul pajeon is an easy, crispy, and savory pancake made with seafood and green onions and served with a tangy soy dipping sauce.
Servings 2 seafood pancakes
Calories 864kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup ice cold water
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil divided for cooking
Filling
- 4 oz shrimp peeled, deveined and cut into small pieces
- 4 oz calamari cut into small pieces
- 12 stalks green onions roots and tops trimmed
- 1 fresh red chili pepper thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 large egg beaten
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon gochugaru
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the seafood. Wash and pat dry the peeled and deveined shrimp and calamari to remove the excess moisture.
- Make dipping sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochugaru, sesame oil, green onion and sesame seeds. Mix to combine.
- Mix the batter. In a medium bowl, add the flour, potato starch, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, baking powder, and ice cold water. Whisk to combine. Then add in the prepared seafood and mix until combined.
- Cook the pancake. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil over medium-high heat until the pan is hot for a crispy crust. Scoop about 1/2 of the mixture onto the pan and evenly spread it across into a thin layer. Arrange 1/2 of the sliced red chili (optional) on top and drizzle about 1/2 of the egg on top. After 1 minute, lower the heat to medium to cook the inside and prevent the outside from burning. Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes or when the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
- Flip. Using a spatula, flip and cook on the second side until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes. Press the pancake down with a spatula for extra crispiness. Repeat with the second pancake.
- Serve. Place the pancake onto a cutting board and slice it into squares. Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Use ice-cold water. Ice-cold water is the trick to make a crispier pancake. It thins out the batter which ensures it fries up light and crispy.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Whisk the batter until the ingredients are just combined to prevent making the pancake tough. It is okay if the batter has a few lumps in it.
- Use enough oil. Using enough oil is what will guarantee the perfect golden-brown crispy exterior and prevent the seafood pancake from sticking to the pan.
- Cook on medium-high heat. Before adding the batter, make sure the oil and pan is hot. This will ensure that the outside crisps up and does not become overly greasy. But then after 45 seconds or so lower the heat to medium to prevent the outside from burning as the seafood cooks.
- Flip when the bottom is mostly cooked. This will ensure that it won’t break. Flip with confidence!
- Press down on the pancake. Once you flip, press down the pancake with your spatula to ensure everything binds together for an extra crispy crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 864kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 305mg | Sodium: 1892mg | Potassium: 1146mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1206IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 5mg