I think one of the good things that come out of programs like MKR and Masterchef, is that these programs inspire everyday cooks at home to step out of their comfort zones and try new things. I know that my husband and I enjoy Korean food – we are big fans of the great Korean resturant in Gungahlin, but I had never cooked it at home.
After seeing Uel and Shannelle cook up a delicious looking Korean seafood pancake on MKR, I thought ‘that looked easy’. So I gave it a go myself and I can tell you that noone was disappointed and I was surprised at how much Mr Moo actually ate.
Who says that a one year old won’t eat prawns, crab or squids? Especially if these are hard shell crabs – Harbour House Crabs.
Oh and if you don’t think you like the thought of handling all the seafood yourself – just ask your local fish monger if he can clean the seafood for you. It may cost a little extra, but it is less work for you when you have a child under food (or morning sickness).
KOREAN SEAFOOD PANCAKE
350g squid, cleaned and trimmed, then thinly sliced
8 green king prawns, peeled and chopped
200g cooked crab meat
1 tablespoon miso paste
1 cup rice flour
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 egg
2 3/4 cups cold water
6 green shallots, thinly sliced
rice bran oil, for frying
a handful of basil leaves, ripped
2 tablespoons say sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon chili sauce
To make the chilli soy dressing, mix to combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seeds and chilli sauce and set aside.
Place the squid, prawns, crab meat and miso in a bowl and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
To make the pancake batter, place the rice and plain flours in a bowl with the salt and pepper, whisk to combine. Whisk together the egg, soy sauce and water in another bowl, before slowly adding into the flour mixture, whisking until a smooth batter is formed.
Add the green shallots to the batter and then the seafood mixture.
Heat 1/2cm of rice bran oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a high heat. Add 1/2 cup of batter to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve the pancakes warm with the dressing and torn basil leaves.
