Seafood and Garlic Chive Pancake Recipe
While Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard’s 2016 book Koreatown explored Korean American communities of the U.S., their Koreaworld: A Cookbook takes a look at the worldwide diversity of modern Korean cuisine. This recipe is from San Francisco’s Queens, a source for artisanal Korean American ingredients and produce sourced from Bay Area farms. Owners Eddo Kim and Clara Lee combine local ingredients with traditional methods to make authentic products in an environmentally conscious manner. You can buy their pancake mix at their shop, online at queens-universe.com or use a brand from your favorite Korean grocery.
Cho Wines is Oregon’s first Korean American winery, and one of a handful of West Coast wineries making premium Aligotés (available at getchowines.com). It’s perfect with this dish, and a great overall choice for seafood and salads as the weather heats up.
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Haemul Buchupajeon (Seafood and Garlic Chive Pancake)
Reprinted with permission from Koreaworld: A Cookbook. Copyright © 2024 by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. Published by Clarkson Potter
- ¾ cup Korean pancake mix
- ½ cup water, fish stock, or chicken stock
- 1 egg
- 4 ounces large shrimp, shelled and cleaned
- 4 ounces cuttlefish, cleaned (optional, or, if not using, add extra 4 ounces shrimp)
- 2 cups fresh garlic chives, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 cup matchstick-cut zucchini
- ½ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- ½ cup thinly sliced Korean or other fresh chili
- ¼ cup neutral cooking oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or peanut
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pancake mix, water and egg until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Cut the shrimp and cuttlefish (if using) into bite-size pieces. Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the seafood and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, pat dry and transfer to a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to cook, add the seafood, garlic chives, zucchini, onion and chili to the batter and mix thoroughly. In a large skillet (at least 12 inches in diameter), heat the oil over high heat until it shimmers. Carefully drop the batter into the hot oil by spoonfuls and then, using the back of a spoon, spread it out until the pancake is about 10 inches in diameter.
Fry until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, flip the pancake, and fry until the second side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
Wine Pairing
While the pungent garlic chives can present a pairing conundrum, a crisp juicy white with herbal and mineral notes can tease out their sweetness. Aligoté, Burgundy’s “other white grape,” has bracing green apple and citrus flavors while also leaning into stone, smoke and herbs like mint and fennel.
Bottle to Try: Cho 2022 La Belle Promenade Vineyard Aligoté (Chehalem Mountains)
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!
More Seafood Recipes to Try
Published: July 3, 2024
