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Korea, Asia · Kimchi Jeon (Korean Kimchi Pancake)

Crispy Aged-Kimchi Jeon with Pork Belly

Ice-cold sparkling-water batter poured thin over sizzling pork belly and sour aged kimchi, fried until the edges shatter like lace: kimchi jeon the restaurant way.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time30 min
Chilling the batter+ 10 min
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Squeeze the kimchi firmly by hand to remove excess liquid (you can add what drips out to the measured kimchi juice) and chop it into 1 cm pieces; squeezed kimchi keeps the batter from going soggy. Cut the scallions into 3 cm lengths, thinly slice the chilli and cut the pork belly into 3 cm pieces.

    Add in this stepAged, very sour napa cabbage kimchi 200 gScallions 1Hot green chilli 1

  2. Mix the flour, potato starch, sugar and chilli flakes in a bowl, pour in the kimchi juice and ice-cold sparkling water and stir only 10–15 big strokes with a whisk; a few small lumps are fine. Overmixing builds gluten and makes the pancake chewy. Fold in the kimchi, scallions and chilli and chill the batter in the fridge for . Cold batter hitting hot oil gives the crispest result.

    Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 60 gPotato starch 20 gSugar ½ tspKorean chilli flakes (gochugaru) 1 tspKimchi juice 40 mlIce-cold sparkling water 90 ml

  3. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and sesame seeds for the dipping sauce.

    Add in this stepSoy sauce 1½ tbspRice vinegar 1 tbspToasted sesame seeds ½ tsp

  4. Heat a 26 cm frying pan on medium heat, add a little oil and spread the pork belly in a circle the size of the pan. Cook for until golden and the fat has rendered out. If you're making two pancakes, use half the pork for each and repeat this step every time.

    Add in this stepThinly sliced pork belly (about 3 mm) 100 gNeutral cooking oil 0.9 tbsp

    medium heat

  5. Add more oil around the edge of the pan and let it heat on medium-high heat until it bubbles briskly (about 180 °C). Ladle the batter over the pork, spread it 3–4 mm thin and cook for . The oil spits easily, so pour from low down and keep your face away from the pan. When the edges are brown and lacy and the pancake slides when you shake the pan, flip it (1 pancake(s) in total, one at a time).

    Add in this stepNeutral cooking oil 1¼ tbsp

    medium-high heat

  6. Support it with a spatula and flip in one go, drizzle the remaining oil around the edge, press down firmly and cook on medium heat for . Flip again and cook on medium-high heat for to drive off surface oil and lock in the crunch.

    Add in this stepNeutral cooking oil 0.9 tbsp

    medium heat→medium-high heat

  7. Rest the pancake on a wire rack rather than paper towel for 1 minute so the underside doesn't steam and go soft. Cut into 6–8 pieces and serve at once with the dipping sauce.

Cook's tip

If the aged kimchi is very sour, add a little more sugar; if it's very salty, rinse it once and squeeze it dry. Keep the sparkling water in the fridge until the last second, or float 2–3 ice cubes in the batter. Frying in rendered pork fat gives a far richer flavour than oil alone.

Cooking it at camp

Measure the dry batter ingredients at home and carry the sparkling water well chilled in the cooler, mixing just before frying. A cast-iron griddle or heavy pan spreads the pork fat evenly. It spits a lot, so cook away from the tent with your back to the wind.