So easy to make, this terrific recipe has been adapted from My Korea by Hooni Kim (W.W. Norton, 2020). See the main post, including the video, for extra tips.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
1tablespoonwater
1tablespoonunseasoned rice vinegar
3tablespoonssoy sauce
1 ½teaspoonsgochugaru(Korean red chili flakes), or similar kind of mild chile flakes
1garlic cloveminced
⅛teaspoonminced ginger
½teaspoontoasted sesame oil
Batter
2cups(285g) all-purpose flour, regular or a gluten-free blend such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1
½cup(64g) cornstarch
2teaspoonsbaking powder
2teaspoonssugar
½teaspoonrecently ground black pepper
2cupsice-cold club soda
1teaspoondoenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste), dark Japanese miso, or Chinese bean sauce
1medium egg yolk,or 2 teaspoons beaten egg yolk (see Note for another idea)
2teaspoonsminced garlic
Other
3medium or 2 large bunches green onion,cut into 2-inch lengths (cut any thick white sections in half lengthwise before cutting crosswise)
About ⅓ cup neutral oilsuch as canola or grapeseed
Instructions
To make the sauce, combine the water, vinegar, soy sauce, chile flakes, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Taste and add extra water by the ½ teaspoon, if the flavor is too strong. Use right away or refrigerated up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Return to room temperature and shake or stir up before serving.
For the batter, in a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, baking powder, and pepper. Make a well in the center, add the club soda, bean paste, egg yolk, and garlic, then mix gently with a whisk. Do not whisk too much, or extra gluten will form in the batter, making it too thick and doughy. Whisk about 10 times, then let the batter rest for 10 minutes in the freezer so any remaining small clumps of flour can dissolve and blend into the mixture by themselves.
When you’re ready to make the pancakes, line a sheet pan with paper towels and set aside. Fold the scallions into the cold batter. Set a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat and add about 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer and just barely smoke, add 1 cup of the scallion batter to the center of the pan. Using a spatula, spread it out to form a 7-inch pancake. (You don’t want the pancake to touch the sides of the pan, or the edges may burn before the center is cooked through.)
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom of the pancake has set. Once set, gently slide your spatula under the edge of the pancake and lift them, tilting the pan, so some of the hot oil runs underneath the pancake. Let cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the bottom is deep golden brown and crisp. You can check the color by gently lifting an edge of the pancake with your spatula. Now flip the pancake and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is golden brown on the second side and cooked through. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan to drain. Wipe out the pan, set it back over high heat, add another tablespoon or so of oil, and repeat until all the pancakes are cooked. You should have 4 or 5 pancakes total. The finished pancakes can be kept on a clean sheet pan while you cook the remaining ones, but it’s best to eat them right away. (See the main post for reheating tips.)
Cut each pancake into quarters and serve with small bowls of the sauce.
Notes
Adapted from My Korea by Hooni Kim (W.W. Norton, 2020). To make vegan pancake batter, try substituting 2 teaspoons of neutral tasting oil for the egg yolk -- I have not applied this swap out but I think it'll work just fine. The yolk enriches the batter so a touch of oil will do the same.