Pa Jeon (Korean Pancakes)

A Pa Jeon is a savoury pancake made with green onions and is often served in Korea as a snack.  It is made with a flour-based batter, eggs, green onions and is often served with a dipping sauce made with soy sauce and vinegar.  Variations on the basic pancake include the addition of other shredded vegetables, kimchi and/or seafood.

Doing a little research on the topic, I found that there are as many names for Korean pancakes as there are recipes and cooks out there:  Pa Jun, Pajun, Pa Jeon and P'ajon to name a few.  For simplicity's sake, I will just go with Pa Jeon.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of green onions, white and pale green part only, cut into long pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2-3 drops sesame oil

Wash the green onions and pat try with a towel.  Slice into long thing pieces.  Peel and crush the garlic.  Grate ginger.

For batter:

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and  1 cup water and lightly mix with a wooden spoon.  If the batter seems thick, add some of the remaining 1/4 cup water a bit at a time to loosen the batter until it has the consistency you would expect for North American pancakes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in green onions, ginger and garlic and set aside.

In a large non-stick fry pan or skillet, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Pour batter into the pancake mold, spreading the mixture evenly.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the pancake edges turn golden brown.  Gently loosen the pancake mold and remove.  Shake the pan back and forth over the burner and check for doneness on the underside.

When pancake is ready, flip it over using a spatula, and add a little bit more vegetable oil to the pan.  Flatten the pancake slightly by pressing down on it with a spatula.  Cook for 2 more minutes.  Flip again and cook for 1 minute if desired to restore crispness to other side.  Slide the finished pancake onto a tray and into a warm oven to stay hot while you make the rest.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.