Haemul Pajeon (Korean Seafood Pancake) - Using all purpose flour version

Haemul pajeon is my all time favourite savory seafood pancake.  Today I am going to share this recipe using the flour that most household have in the kitchen - all purpose flour (I had written a recipe using premix flour Haemul Pajeon - Using Korean pancake premix version, but I know it's quite hard to get the Korean pancake premix flour in some area....). 

 

This time I am going to follow the steps that my mother in law likes to use while making this pancake.  Instead of mixing all the ingredients in the batter, she likes to add them in layer by layer, and I must admit it tastes really delicious! You can taste more of the spring onion ("Pa" in Korean) and seafood ("Haemul" in Korean) than the batter, which is really yummy for those who prefers to eat ingredients than batter :p

Serving: 2 person (Makes 2 medium size pancake)
Ingredients:
20 stalk of spring onion
20 piece shrimp
1 medium size squid (cut into strips)
2 egg
150g all purpose flour
280ml cold water
1 green chilli (thinly sliced) - optional
1 red chilli (thinly sliced) - optional
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking oil

Dipping sauce:
3 tbsp Soy sauce                                        
1 tbsp Rice vinegar                                   
3 tbsp Water                                               
1/2 tsp Sugar                                              
1 tsp Chilli pepper powder (Gochugaru) 
1/2 tsp Finely grated garlic
Sliced chillis - optional
                        

 

 



 

1. Prepare a bowl, put in all purpose flour and salt.  Add in cold water and keep stirring until all the flour dissolved.
2. Prepare a non-stick pan, add in 2 tbsp of cooking oil and heat it on medium low fire. 
3. Arrange the spring onion in the heated pan (*Make sure to pat dry the spring onion to avoid oil splashing).
4. Add a layer of batter on the arranged spring onion.
5. Crack an egg in a bowl and beat slightly with a fork.  Pour the egg mix on top of the layered batter.
6. Add in seafood (shrimp and squid), and sliced chillis.
7. Drizzle another thin layer of batter on top using a spoon (*This layer of batter will help to hold the seafood when flip over).
8. Fry both sides until they are cooked and turn golden brown using medium low heat, approximately 5-7 minutes each side.
9. Serve hot with yummy dipping sauce!

Chamchi Gimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Roll with Tuna)

Gimbap/kimbap is a popular dish among adults and kids.  It's a common dish for outing in Korea.  Most family prepare/buy kimbap when going for picnic, especially in spring you can see families gathered and sitting in a park enjoying family quality time :)

 

There are many types of gimbap in Korea: Kimchi gimbap, beef gimbap, cheese gimbap, tuna gimbap, and etc.  I was told that gimbap like beef and tuna are 'premium' gimbap where the price is slightly higher than common gimbap :p

 

Serving size: Make 4 rolls
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice                    
- (made with 1&1/2 cup short grain rice and 1/2 cup multi grain rice)
*You can use short grain rice only.
4 Dried seaweed sheet                                                                                    
1 can Tuna flakes
4 strips Ham
4 strips Crabstick
4 strips Yellow pickled raddish
4 strips Cucumber
1/2 cup Carrot (cut into strips)
3 Egg
3 tbsp Mayonaise
2 + 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil
Salt
Cooking oil

Step by step photos:

 

 

 

 

1. Cut the cucumber into strips with the same length and size with ham and crabstick.  Sprinkle some salt over the cucumbers and leave it for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, rinse with water and pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
2. Drain the oil (or water) in the can of tuna and stir fry in a pan for a few minutes (optional, you can use the tuna straight from the can too).  Let it cool down, add mayonaise and mix well.
3. Prepare a pan, drizzle some cooking oil and pan fry the ham and crabstick for 2 minutes (optional, you can skip this step as the crabstick and ham is edible cold).
4. Fry the carrot in a pan with a little cooking oil and a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
5. Heat the pan with some cooking oil and pour the beaten egg mixture to the pan over medium heat. Fry both side until cooked.  Slice into strips.
6. Prepare the rice by mixing in 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 & 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil while the rice is still warm.  Let it cool down before use, hot rice will curl up the seaweed sheet...
7. Place the seaweed sheet on bamboo mat.  Spread generous amount of rice covered up the seaweed sheet, leaving about 1/4 of the sheet uncovered with rice at one end.
8. Place ham, tuna, pickled radish, crabstick, egg and carrot on the spreaded rice.
9. Roll up the gimbap.  Place some water or a few pieces of rice at the other end of seaweed sheet to help sealing the gimbap.  Squeeze the bamboo mat evenly.
10. Brush gimbap with some sesame oil.  *This step will help to keep the gimbap moist and easy to slice too :)
11. Slice gimbap with a clean and sharp knife.  *Wipe the knife with a layer of sesame oil to ease the slicing process or prepare a bowl of water and a clean cloth (or kitchen paper towel), dip the knife in the water and wipe off the starch and continue slicing.

 

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup/Porridge)

Usually the chicken used in this recipe is cornish hen which is relatively smaller in size and whole chicken is served for one person.  But, I like to use 'village chicken' or it's called 'kampung chicken' here, locally.  The meat taste sweeter, less oily and it's definitely suitable to use for making nutritious and healthy soup like samgyetang :)

 

Korean usually eat this soup during hot summer day, it's said to prepare the body to fight against the summer heat and boost the body immune system, preparing them to go through the hot to the cold in winter.  Although it's a summer 'must-eat' food, it can be consumed as regular meal at any time of the year~

 

The traditional way of cooking this soup is using glutinous rice but I usually use rice to make this soup which makes the soup turn out like samgyetang porridge.  Our family likes to eat it this way where we will eat the chicken first and enjoy the porridge soup later.  I think this way of cooking is quite suitable for those who is worry that the soup will be too heaty for the body.  The samgyetang porridge is suitable for young children too :)

Serving size: 2 person
Ingredients:
Cornish hen or Kampung chicken                 1                                       
Ginseng                                                          1
Cooked rice                                                    about 4 cups
Red date                                                         12 - 15 piece
Onion (medium size)                                     1/2
Garlic clove                                                   12 piece
Leek (4cm length)                                          2 piece
Water                                                             2 liter
Salt & black pepper to taste

Step by step Photos:

 

1. Clean and wash the chicken thoroughly.  Remove the chicken internal organ and set aside.
2. Wash red dates and cut the onion into cube size.  Cut off the ginseng head and slice it into smaller pieces (or you skip the cutting and use the whole piece without head).
3. Prepare a pot, add in water and all the ingredients.  Boil over high heat for 30 minutes.
4. Add in the cooked rice and boil for another 20 to 30 minutes over medium low heat. (Add more water if the soup evaporates too much).
5. Off the fire, take out the chicken and serve with black pepper and salt/soy sauce.
6. Save some breast meat and shredded it into thin stripes to put in the porridge.
7. Add some seasoning and enjoy the ginseng porridge~ ^^

* When the chicken meat can be pulled apart easily from the bone, it's cooked thoroughly.

**If you would like to make the traditional way, use abut 1/2 cup of glutinous rice (Soak for 3 hour prior to cook) and stuff it in the chicken together with all other ingredients.  Seal the hole with tooth pick.  If cooking this way, you can reduce the red dates and garlic amount and skip the leek and onion. 

 

Miyeok Guk (Korean Seaweed Soup with Dried Mussels)

Miyeok (aka wakame) is a staple soup for Korean.  It's also known as the birthday soup where people usually eat it during their breakfast on their birthday.  Miyeok guk is also  most often eaten by women after their postpartum or during confinement.  It's said that it helps blood circulation and also boost milk supply.  (I drink this soup during my confinement days too).  It's known as one of the healthiest soup in Korean cuisine and is famous for it's amazing health benefits.  It's rich in calcium and iodine.  Although it's known as birthday soup, Korean also eat this soup on common days :)

 

The most common and traditional way of making this soup is by using beef but in southern part of Korea, people make miyeok guk with seafood like clams. mussels, oysters, sea urchin, abalone and etc.  I usually make it with seafood too as I do not eat beef.  Today, I am going to cook miyeok guk with dried mussels, it taste as good!

 

 



Serving size: 2 person

Ingredients:

Dried Miyeok (cut seaweed/wakame) *I use pre-cut dried miyuk   2 tbsp

Dried mussels                                                                                   8-10 piece

Dried anchovy                                                                                  8 piece

Garlic (minced)                                                                                1 tsp

Sesame oil                                                                                        1 tbsp

Soy sauce                                                                                         1 tbsp

Water                                                                                               1 liter

 

Step by step photos:

 

 

 

 

1. Soak dried seaweed in water for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Rinse with water and drain.  Set aside.  Wash the dried mussels and set aside.
2. Prepare broth with anchovies in 1 liter of water boiled over medium heat for at least 30 minutes with lid close.
3. Prepare another pot and put 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add in the seaweed and dried mussels, saute for 3 minute on high heat.
4. Add in the anchovy broth, and minced garlic.  Boil over medium low heat for another 30 minutes with lid on.
5. Add in soy sauce and boil for anothe 10 minutes on low heat.
6. Taste to season.  Add more soy sauce if it's too bland.  You can drizzle some sesame oil after off the fire.  Serve with rice and some banchan~ Scrumptious and healthy soup to warm up your stomach! ^^