Haemul Pajeon Recipe (Korean Seafood Scallion Pancake)

This haemul pajeon serves two and takes about 40 minutes. Long green onions are dipped in a thin batter of buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix), laid side by side in the pan and topped with squid and shrimp, then pan-fried into two large pancakes. The key is to keep the green onions and seafood dry and to turn each pancake only after the bottom is golden.

Pajeon means green onion jeon, a pan-fried Korean pancake. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture names shellfish, oysters, mussels and shrimp among its fillings and describes Dongnae pajeon as a local dish of Dongnae in Busan, near green onion and minari (water dropwort) fields and a coast rich in seafood. The Dongnae district office introduces two origin stories, a royal tribute and a snack for fortress workers in 1707, as oral tradition.

One Korean recipe serves pajeon with choganjang, soy sauce mixed with vinegar. For another jeon, see gamja-jeon (potato pancakes).

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• Frying pan, about 26 cm (10 1/4 in)
• Mixing bowl
• Paper towels
• Wide spatula

1. Wash the green onions. Drain them. Cut them in half to fit the pan. Split thick white parts lengthwise.

   Jjokpa (thin Korean green onions) or thin scallions About 200 g (7.1 oz)

2. Cut the squid into thin strips. Cut large shrimp into 2 or 3 pieces. Pat the seafood dry with paper towels.

   Squid, cleaned About 100 g (3.5 oz) · Raw shrimp, peeled About 100 g (3.5 oz)

3. In the bowl, mix the pancake mix, cold water and egg until smooth. Divide the batter into 2 equal portions. Slice the chili diagonally, if used.

   Buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix) About 200 ml (about 7/8 cup) · Cold water About 160 ml (about 2/3 cup) · Egg 1 ea · Cheongyang chili (hot green chili) 1 ea (optional)

4. Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in the pan over medium heat.

   Cooking oil About 2 tbsp

5. Dip half of the green onions in one portion of batter. Lay them side by side in the pan.

6. Scatter half of the squid and shrimp and, if used, half of the chili on top. Spoon the rest of that batter portion over them to fill the gaps.

7. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the bottom is golden. Turn the pancake over. Press it with the spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes more.

8. Check that the seafood inside is firm and opaque and the batter in the center is cooked. Make the second pancake the same way with the remaining oil and ingredients.

   Cooking oil About 2 tbsp

• Both sides are golden brown and the batter in the center is not runny
• The shrimp is firm and opaque and the squid is opaque white (optional check: the center of the seafood stays at or above 85°C (185°F) for at least 1 minute)
• The green onions are soft and stay joined to the pancake when you lift it

Dongnae pajeon (Busan local style)

The district office's standard recipe uses a glutinous and non-glutinous rice flour batter with minari (water dropwort), beef and several kinds of seafood, and sets two layers of green onions facing opposite directions.

Jjokpa-jeon (green onion pancake without seafood)

In the recipe checked for this entry, the green onions are coated in buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix) and beaten egg instead of a poured batter.

Chinese scallion pancake

The recipe compared here uses dough that is rolled out, brushed with oil and coiled into layers, while this haemul pajeon uses a pourable batter.

• Korean Bapsang — Haemul pajeon
• My Korean Kitchen — Korean seafood and green onion pancakes
• Kimchimari — Pajeon
• Serious Eats — Extra-flaky scallion pancakes
• 10000recipe — Seafood pajeon (Korean)
• Korea Craft & Design Foundation — Haemul pajeon (Korean)
• 10000recipe — Jjokpa-jeon without seafood (Korean)
• Encyclopedia of Korean Culture — Pajeon (Korean)
• Dongnae-gu Office — Dongnae pajeon (Korean)
• MFDS — Food poisoning prevention (Korean)
• FDA — Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely
• NOAA Fisheries — Shortfin squid seafood
• USDA — The big thaw
• FDA — Flour is a raw food
• CDC — Raw flour and dough
• USDA — Leftovers and food safety
• FoodSafety.gov — Cold food storage chart
• Korea Law Information Center — Food labeling rule, annex 2 (Korean)
• Sempio — Soy sauce ingredients