Zucchini Flower Pajeon

Pajeon are savoury Korean pancakes. This recipe is based upon one shared with me by New York-based artist and author Erin Jang in my book Family. The wonder of pajeon is that they are endlessly adaptable – when Erin first made them for me, hers comprised artfully arranged carrot, capsicum and zucchini, the vegetables swathed in a light, fragrant batter. Sharing this meal with Erin and her family was a special moment for me and, to this day, I always think of them when I devour these light, crispy pancakes. I love the celestial beauty of zucchini flowers in pajeon – while mellow in flavour, they provide a lovely silkiness. If you don’t have the flowers, I also use finely sliced discs of zucchini (but basically any vegetables that are fast to cook will work). There are generally two ways of making pajeon – you can add the vegetables to the pan first, lightly pan-frying before spooning the batter over, or you can mix the vegetables straight into the batter before frying (like I have instructed below). The latter is the slightly easier option, so it really depends on how you want your finished pajeon to look.

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Instructions

1.	To make the dipping sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2.	In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch or rice flour and sea salt.
3.	In another bowl, whisk together the garlic powder or garlic, doenjang or miso and cold water.
4.	Combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and lump-free.
5.	The mixture should be thick, but just pourable. If it looks too thick or stiff, add another 1–2 tablespoons of cold water.
6.	Add the zucchini flowers to the batter and gently fold them through. Don’t overmix – the flowers don’t need to be completely coated in the batter.
7.	Heat a frying pan over medium–high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
8.	Add one-quarter of the batter for small pancakes or half of the batter for larger pancakes.
9.	Cook for 2 minutes, until golden underneath, then flip over.
10.	Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes.
11.	Uncover and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes, using a spatula to press the pancake into the pan, until golden and crispy.
12.	Repeat with the remaining batter (make sure you increase the heat to medium–high before cooking more pancakes).
13.	Slice into squares or wedges and serve immediately, with the dipping sauce on the side.