Gamjajeon

Gamjajeon (Korean Potato Pancake)

A savory Korean potato pancake with a crisp golden crust and a tender, custardy interior, studded with sweet onions. Served as a side dish (banchan), snack, or with drinks (anju).

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •450 g (1 lb) potatoes, starchy variety such as russet works best; Yukon Gold acceptable
• •100 g (1 medium) yellow onion, thinly sliced
• •2 g scallions, thinly sliced, optional
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) kosher salt, for drawing moisture from the potatoes
• •60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil, for frying; any neutral high-smoke-point oil
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce, for dipping
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) rice vinegar, for dipping
• •2 g (½ tsp) gochugaru, Korean chili flakes, for dipping
• •2 g (1 clove) garlic, minced, for dipping

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and grate them on the fine holes of a box grater. Grate the onion the same way. Work over a large bowl and work quickly so the potatoes do not oxidize.
2. 2 Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the grated mixture and toss well. Let stand 3–5 minutes; the salt will draw out a substantial amount of liquid. Do not squeeze the mixture dry — the starchy juice is the natural binder that holds the pancake together.
3. 3 Stir in the sliced scallions. Taste a pinch; if very salty, drain briefly but reserve the liquid. The batter should look loose and wet, not pasty.
4. 4 Heat the oil in a 25 cm (10-inch) non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
5. 5 Pour in about one-third of the batter (roughly 250 g / 9 oz per pancake) and spread it into a thin, even circle about 12–13 cm in diameter. Fry 3–4 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and crisp.
6. 6 Flip carefully with a wide spatula, add a little more oil around the edges, and fry another 2–3 minutes until the second side is golden and the center is set with no wet pockets of batter.
7. 7 Slide onto a paper-towel lined plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring the batter each time so the starch stays evenly distributed. Makes about 6 small pancakes.
8. 8 Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochugaru and garlic together in a small bowl for a quick cho-ganjang dipping sauce.
9. 9 Cut each pancake into bite-sized wedges and serve hot with the dipping sauce.