Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)
User Reviews
4.7
Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake)
Description
Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake) combines various seafood such as squid, shrimp, and oysters cut into small pieces and mixed with scallions. The seafood is lightly coated in sesame oil before adding half into a thin batter made from Korean pancake mix and icy cold water, achieving a texture that is crisp on the outside while tender inside. The pancake is cooked in vegetable oil until golden, topped with scallions pressed into the batter, more seafood and optional red chili slices, and optionally finished with beaten egg. A seasoned dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili flakes accompanies the pancakes, enhancing their savory flavor.
The dish offers a balance of textures—crispy edges from the thin batter and soft, tender seafood throughout. Scallions provide a fresh, mild onion flavor that complements the seafood. Cooking in oil over medium-high heat produces a browned, slightly crunchy crust that contrasts well with the moist interior.
Haemul Pajeon is typically served as an appetizer or shared snack, often enjoyed with the dipping sauce to add tang and spice. The recipe suggests experimenting with different flour mixes, such as combining buchim garu and frying mix or making a custom blend with rice flour and garlic powder, to adjust crispness to preference.
Practically, removing excess water from seafood and scallions before mixing prevents sogginess. The recipe recommends a relatively thin batter for crispness and adding egg for richer flavor and improved texture is optional. The dipping sauce can be adjusted with sugar or additional aromatics like onion and scallions for taste complexity.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups seafood assortment squid, shrimp, mussels, oysters, clams, etc., cut into bite sizes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 or 2 scallions bunches
- 1 red chili pepper optional
- 1 egg lightly beaten - optional
Batter - makes 2 large (about 7 to 8-inch) pancakes
- 1 cup Korean pancake mix or all purpose flour or gluten free flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt - See note, buchim garu, 부침가루
Dipping Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 to 3 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- pinch black pepper
- pinch Korean red chili pepper flakes Korean red chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon scallion chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon onion diced, optional
Instructions
- 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.
- In a large bowl, mix the pancake mix with 3/4 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 1/2 of the seafood.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Optional method
- Cut the scallions shorter, 2 to 3-inch lengths. You can mix everything with the batter, except the egg. Ladle 1/2 of the mixture into the heated pan and spread it evenly into a thin round shape. Follow the directions above from step 5 for pan-frying.
Notes
- To achieve a crispier pancake, use a mix of buchim garu and frying mix or custom flour blends with rice flour and potato starch.
- Make sure to drain seafood and scallions well to avoid a soggy pancake.
- The batter consistency should be thinner than typical pancakes but thicker than crepes for best texture.
- Adding a lightly beaten egg on top before cooking enhances flavor and texture but is optional.
- Adjust dipping sauce ingredients to your taste, optionally including sugar, scallion, or onion for depth.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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