How to Make Haemul Pajeon with Sarah Kim-Lee

In our latest EATogether video, Bay Area local chef Sarah Kim-Lee shows us her favorite Korean dish, haemul pajeon, translated into English as “seafood pancakes.”

Haemul Pajeon is famous in Busan region of South Korea. Sarah says that Haemul Pajeon is one of her favorite food to make in the evening, especially when it is cold.

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Haemul Pajeon Recipe

For the Batter

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup short-grain rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 Tbs potato starch (it’s ok to skip this, but the texture won’t be as crispy)
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • salt to taste
  • Sift all ingredients together in a bowl, then gently mix with 1 cup of ice water. If needed to thin out the batter, you can add a few more Tbs of water, one at a time.


Prep Seafood

  • About 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup each seafood of your choice, we like:
    • shrimp (peeled and deveined)
    • calamari (remove intestines and cut into thin tubes)
    • clams
    • mussels (cut larger pieces in half)
  • Add all seafood into the batter mixture with optional red pepper slices for color & garnish.


Dipping Sauce (Optional)

  • 1 Tbs soy sauce
  • 1 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 pinch roasted sesame seeds
  • 1 pinch of red pepper / chili flakes (optional, for spicy sauce)
  • A couple pinches of finely diced sweet red pepper and green onion


Making the Pancakes

  • Wash and trim ends & bulbs of 2-3 bunches of green onions (scallions). Cut the white end of them lengthwise, then cut in half if needed to fit in your pan.
  • Heat oil for a few minutes in a cast iron pan until very hot.
  • Place the green onions in the pan first and let them cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Carefully spoon the batter on top, just enough to lightly cover the green onions.
  • Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, flip, then cook for 1 minute on the second side.
  • Serve with dipping sauce.
     

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