Mixed Vegetable Jeon

By Hetty Lui McKinnon | Washington Post

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS:

 For the dipping sauce

• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chili crisp or oil, to taste
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

For the jeon

• 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) ice water, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons doenjang or shiro miso (white miso)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
• 2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted for 30 to 60 minutes
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, chili crisp or oil (to taste), and scallion until combined.
2. Make the jeon: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch or potato starch, and salt until combined.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the water, doenjang or miso, and garlic until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the flour mixture to the doenjang mixture and whisk until smooth and mostly lump-free – but don’t overmix. The mixture should be thick but just pourable. If it looks too thick or stiff, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water.
5. Gently fold in the defrosted vegetables and scallions until just combined. Don’t overmix – the mixture does not need to be smooth.
6. Heat a 10-inch skillet on medium-high heat until hot, for about 3 minutes. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the oil and add half of the batter (just eyeball it!). Cook until golden underneath, about 2 minutes, then, using a wide spatula (a flexible fish spatula, if you have one), carefully but confidently flip the pancake over. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, pressing the pancake into the pan with the spatula, until the bottom is golden and crisp, an additional 2 minutes. Flip it back over and cook the golden side again for another 2 minutes to make sure it’s crisp.
7. Increase the heat again to medium-high and repeat with the remaining oil and batter.
8. Slice the pancakes into wedges and serve, with the dipping sauce on the side.