Korean Haemul Pajeon with Shrimp, Squid, Green Onion Batter, Gochujang Dipping Sauce

Make the dipping sauce: whisk all sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be a balance of salty, sour, slightly sweet, and gently spicy. The sesame oil should be present but not dominant. Set aside for flavors to meld.

Ingredients

• For the pajeon batter:
• 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30g) rice flour (for crispiness — regular flour alone produces a chewier, less crisp result)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) ice-cold water (ice cold is essential — warm water activates gluten)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• For the seafood and green onions:
• 200g (7 oz) medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, roughly chopped
• 150g (5 oz) squid (calamari), cleaned and cut into small rings and pieces
• 1 large bunch green onions (about 12-15), roots trimmed, cut to 20cm/8-inch lengths
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (per pancake)
• For the gochujang dipping sauce:
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Make the dipping sauce: whisk all sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be a balance of salty, sour, slightly sweet, and gently spicy. The sesame oil should be present but not dominant. Set aside for flavors to meld.
2. Make the batter: combine flour, rice flour, egg, ice-cold water, and salt. Whisk briefly — lumps are fine, even desirable. Overmixing develops gluten and produces a tough, bready pancake rather than a delicate crisp one. The batter should be thin — slightly thicker than crêpe batter. Add sesame oil and stir once. Rest the batter for 5 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Prepare the green onions: leave them whole in long sections. They form the structural backbone of the pancake — each piece of pajeon should have visible green onion running lengthwise through it.
4. Cook the first pancake: heat a wide skillet (26-28cm/10-11 inch) over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil and swirl to coat. Lay half the green onions in a single layer across the pan, parallel to each other. Scatter half the shrimp and squid pieces evenly over the onions.
5. Pour half the batter over the seafood and onions — pour from the edge, letting it flow naturally between the onions rather than dumping it in the center. The batter should almost — but not quite — cover everything.
6. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until the edges are deeply golden and beginning to lift from the pan. The surface should be mostly set with a slightly wet center. Using a wide spatula (or two), flip confidently in one motion. Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes. Press gently with the spatula — you should hear a satisfying sizzle and crackle.
7. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into large squares. The underside should be uniformly golden-brown, deeply crisp, and slightly lacquered. The green onions visible through the cut edge should be tender and sweet.
8. Serve immediately — pajeon loses its crispness within minutes. Haemul pajeon is the Korean pancake eaten on rainy days, at pojangmacha (street food tents), at every celebratory gathering. The Korean saying goes: the sound of rain is the sound of someone making pajeon.