At Korean restaurants, one of my favorite dishes is savory seafood and vegetable pancakes. The best versions don’t have too much batter; just enough to bind the seafood and savory garlic chives. I like the texture and taste of garlic chives, but you can substitute green onions, grated carrots and sweet onions, in addition to any type of seafood. The Korean pancake mix, which already has seasonings, flour and cornstarch, can be bought at Korean markets. Look for the colorful picture of shrimp or calamari with vegetables on the packaging. Just add tap water to make the batter. Mix in your assortment of veggies and seafood. Pan fry in a skillet as individual pancakes or one large one. Eat hot or at room temperature. You can also make a simple dipping sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil and a hot sauce like gochujang. Enjoy this restaurant favorite at home.
Korean Seafood Pancakes
Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup Korean seasoned pancake mix
• 2/3 cups water
• 2 cups garlic chives, 1-inch lengths, substitute green onion
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned, substitute scallops, calamari, oysters, more if desired
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine pancake mix with tap water. Stir until smooth.
Cut shrimp into 1/2-inch chunks and add into batter. Add in vegetables. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil. Either place mixture into small 2-inch round servings or make a large skillet-sized pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then ~ ip over. Add oil if needed. Cook until both sides are golden and crispy, about another 5 minutes and place on a paper towel-covered plate. Repeat until all the batter is used. Cut into servings and eat hot or at room temperature.
Serves about 6 people as a side dish.
Note:
A dipping sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce can be made.
Lynette Lo Tom has written three cookbooks and loves hearing about home cooks. Visit lynettecooks.com for more information.
