[Korea Traditional Food] “Haemulpajeon” (“Seafood Green Onion Pancake”)

Main Ingredients :

(Serves 1)
20 g oysters, 20 g shrimp, 30 g squid, 70 g small green onions, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1/2 onion, 1/3 kelp, 250 g wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, a pinch of ground pepper and salt

Spices :
Dipping Sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp water, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, a little bit of garlic juice

Food Story :The letter Jeon is a Chinese character meaning “food heated by fire.” Usually it’s called “jeonyueo(전유어)” meaning pan-fried fish fillet coated with wheat flour and eggs. In the old days locals used a pan called “beoncheol(번철)” which looks like a wide iron lid. Food that is pan-fried on the kitchen utensil with oil is called jeon. But unlike today, dishes cooked in oil were uncommon, so jeon were prepared for meaningful banquets, ancestral rituals, special holidays, wedding ceremonies and the like. Among all the offerings prepared for ancestral rituals, jeon was the most precious dish. Therefore, Koreans regarded jeon as the most premium dish prepared for happy occasions and memorial rituals.

Directions

1. Season shelled shrimp and 5 cm-long squid strips, and oysters with sesame oil, minced garlic, ground pepper, and salt. Add the peeled shrimp shells in the kelp water and bring to a boil. Let the stock cool.

2. Trim and wash the small green onions. Cut the red and the green peppers diagonally for garnish.

3. Mix same amount of wheat flour and the stock; season with a pinch of salt, ground pepper, and minced garlic. Add an egg and mix thoroughly to make smooth dough.

4. Add cooking oil to the heated frying pan and place the green onions coated with the dough in the pan.

5. Top with seasoned seafood and a beaten egg. Garnish with diagonally-cut red and green pepper strips.

6. When cooked slightly, lower the heat and cook it thoroughly on medium high heat. Serve on a plate with the soy sauce dipping sauce in a separate small bowl.






Tips
☑ Do not remove the skin from the squid to keep the unique taste and smell.

☑ Use the seafood stock cooked with shrimp shells and a piece of kelp to enhance the deep flavor of the seafood ingredients.
☑ Heat control is important when cooking a jeon. Be sure to heat the frying pan well before placing the ingredients. Keep the high heat until the jeon begins to show color then lower to medium high heat so that the inside is cooked thoroughly.