Korean Busan-style Seafood Green Onion Pancake
Quick answer
- Total time
- 35 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Busan-style haemul pajeon is a Korean seafood scallion pancake assembled by laying long green onions across the full width of the pan, topping them with squid, shrimp, and mussel meat, then binding everything together with a thin cold-water batter poured over the top.
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Mixing the batter with cold water is the defining technique -- lower temperatures inhibit gluten development, producing edges that shatter rather than bend when pressed, a noticeably crispier result than standard pajeon. As the scallions cook through, they release steam and develop a natural sweetness while absorbing the briny, savory liquid from the seafood above. Extra oil added around the perimeter during cooking fries the outer ring into a cracker-like crunch, contrasting with the dense, moist center packed with overlapping layers of shellfish and green onion. Dipping each slice into a sesame-soy sauce completes the contrast between the crisp exterior and the concentrated seafood filling.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Press paper towels firmly over 120g squid, 120g shrimp, and 80g mussel meat to remove all moisture, then cut into bite-size pieces.
Thorough drying is critical to prevent the pancake from turning soggy.
- 2Season
Cut 180 g chives to 15 to 18 cm, matching the pan length, sprinkle evenly with 0.5 teaspoon salt, and toss gently.
- 3Prep
Mix 200g pancake mix with 240g cold water to form a thin batter, then beat in 1 egg.
Cold water is the key to the Busan style, limiting gluten formation so the surface turns distinctly crisp.
- 4Control
Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan heated over medium heat, lay the green onions across the entire pan to form a base layer, then pour the batter thinly so it fills in the gaps between the onions.
- 5Prep
Evenly spread the prepared seafood over the batter, then drizzle an additional 1 tbsp oil around the edges to enhance the crispness on the underside.
- 6Heat
When the bottom is deeply golden, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil around the edge and turn the pancake in one motion.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes more, removing it when squid and mussels are opaque and shrimp is pink.
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