Crisp and chewy pancakes are an incredibly popular menu item a Korean restaurants. They are fun to pull apart and offer diners little hints of kimchi (or scallions and seafood), mellowed out with crunch and elevated by a soy-vinegar sauce. Note: You sometimes have to ask for the sauce if the busy servers forget. Never let this happen. But. Most pancakes you find in American restaurants, and we’re talking about 70 to 80 percent here, are (1) usually burnt and (2) way too doughy! Let us show you how to make them right. We’re starting with the most basic, kimchi jeon. By using extra-fermented kimchi and a nice amount of kimchi juice, the pancake really packs a lot of flavor.

We use packaged pancake mix, which is available at any Korean grocery. We like how the mix of flour, baking powder, cornstarch and light seasoning binds together and tastes…and in our experience, almost all Korean restaurants and homes use it too, so this will give you the flavor you know and love. The real key is finding the right ratio of vegetables or seafood to dough. We aim for just enough batter to bring the filling together. When frying, it’s important to follow our method: take refrigerated batter and drop into a hot pan before lowering the heat. This will help to cook the pancake evenly, with crisping throughout. And always keep your eye on the prize at all times, as they can burn quite quickly if the flame gets out of control.