Haemul Pa Jeon (해물파전) – Seafood Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients

Dry Mix:

• 56g (⅓-cup) Rice Flour
• 285g (2¼ cup) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 65g (½-cup) Corn Starch
• 9g (2t) Baking Powder
• 8g (½T) Beef, Chicken, or Veggie Bouillon
• 8g (2t) Granulated Sugar
• 6g (2t) Garlic Powder
• 5g (2t) Onion Powder
• 2g (1t) Ground Ginger

Vegetable Mix:

• 3 large Scallions
• ½ medium Onion
• 250g (roughly 2-2½ cups) Garlic Chives, or Garlic Chive Flowers
• 6g (2t) Garlic, minced

Liquid:

• 600g (about 2½ cups) Cold Water

Seafood Medley:

• 175g (about 6oz) Mixed Seafood

Dipping Sauce:

• 64g (¼-cup) Soy Sauce
• 30g (2T) Rice Vinegar
• 1 small Scallion, chopped
• 2g (1t) Red Pepper Flakes

Procedure

• Take a small pan, and lightly toast the rice flour, about 5 minutes, on low flame.
• In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
• Wash, trim, and cut the scallions to 2 inches in length. Do the same for the garlic chives, remembering to trim and remove the fibrous ends (about 2 inches up from the base). Slice the onion into ¼-inch thickness. Add all the cut greens into a large bowl with the minced garlic. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, wash the mixed seafood under cold running water and drain.
• Empty the dry ingredients into the vegetable bowl, roughly stir together, then pour all of the water into the vegetable and flour bowl. Mix well, but do not overmix.
• Add the seafood medley and mix just until evenly distributed. Let the batter sit for about 10-15 minutes to allow for even hydration.
• Make the dipping sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together. Set aside.
• In a large fry pan, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom, about a ½-tablespoon. At medium flame, fry the pancakes until nice and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Fan them out onto a large plate or wire cooling rack to prevent soggy pancakes.
• Enjoy eating them hot with the dipping sauce!

*Bunny Wisdom*

• Don't be pressured to make a full batch of two dozen scallion pancakes. You can easily cut this recipe in half.
• My hubby and I make a large amount, and cool, package, and freeze them for later consumption. To re-heat: microwave, pan-fry, or bake on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Additionally, the pancakes can be made larger than the 5-inch size, perfect for sharing with friends and family.
• We lightly toast the rice flour to give the pancakes a nice flavor.
• Korean pancake mix is readily available in Korean grocery stores. Instead of my dry mix, you can substitute about 440g (3½ cups) of pancake mix.
• I like my pancakes to have a lot of filling, but you are definitely welcome to add less greens. The above measurements for the vegetables are just a guideline. You can choose to add only scallions or only chives, although having a good mix makes the pancakes tastier.
• The seafood medley is optional. My mom still makes these without seafood and adds sliced green chilies or thinly sliced zucchini.
• If the batter looks thick (it should be slightly thinner than buttermilk pancake batter), add a splash of water. Conversely, if it's too thin, add some all-purpose flour or Korean pancake mix.
• To speed up the process, use a non-stick griddle; utilize the space and make a few scallion pancakes at a time.
• Add a teaspoon of minced ginger or some chopped onion into the dipping sauce to give it a different flavor.