Haemul Pajeon: Korean Seafood Pancakes

Ingredients:

Dip sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp gochukaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
• 1 tbsp. l. rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 0.5 tsp chopped ginger
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Pancakes

• 450 g mussels or clams (or a mixture of both), washed with a brush
• 0.5 cups flour
• 0.5 cup rice flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. l. sesame oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of ice water
• 110 g peeled raw shrimp, cut into 0.5 cm pieces.
• 110 g raw squid carcasses, cut into rings 0.5 cm wide.
• 6 green onions, cut into 2.5cm pieces.
• 1 red chili pepper or Fresno pepper, thinly sliced ​​(optional)
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch chives, cut into 2.5cm pieces (about 1/4 cup)
• 0.5 cups of rapeseed oil

Preparation:

1. Dip sauce:
   
   Combine soy sauce, gochukara, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, ginger, green onions, and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Pancakes:
   
   In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a boil over high heat. Add the mussels or other shellfish, cover tightly, and cook until the shells open and the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain and let the shellfish cool slightly. Remove the meat from the shells and set aside. Discard the shells.
3. Place the wheat and rice flours, potato starch, sesame oil, and egg in a large bowl. Add ice water and stir until the batter is as runny as heavy cream. Add the shrimp, squid, chives, chili, shallots, garlic, green onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and mussel or clam meat and stir well.
4. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of batter to the skillet and spread it evenly into a single layer, using a spatula if necessary. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the edges of the pancake are crisp and small bubbles form on top, 3-4 minutes.
5. Flip the pancake and cook on the other side until golden brown and crispy, 3-4 minutes. Flip the pancake twice more, once on each side, and cook for 30 seconds until crispy. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter and canola oil.
6. Transfer the pancakes to a serving platter and cut into wedges. Serve with dipping sauce.
   
   Note
   
   Potato starch works best for this recipe, but corn starch can be used in a pinch. It's recommended to fry small pancakes: they're easier to work with and turn out crispier.