Buchujeon: Garlic Chive Pancake

Ingredients

• 200 g garlic chives (buchu), cut into 5–6 cm lengths
• 120 g plain flour
• 180 ml cold water, ice-cold
• 1 tsp salt
• 3–4 tbsp neutral oil, for frying; added generously to the pan
• For the dipping sauce
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Method

1. 1
   Combine the plain flour, cold water, and salt in a bowl and mix until a smooth, thin batter forms — it should coat a spoon lightly and run off without clinging. Do not overwork, as working the flour too hard builds a tough, bready structure that will weigh down the finished pancake. Rest the batter for five minutes, keeping it cold throughout so that it stays loose and pours easily into the pan.
2. 2
   Make the dipping sauce by stirring together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, gochugaru, and sesame seeds in a small bowl until combined. Set it aside now so that the flavours have time to marry before the pancake is ready.
3. 3
   Fold the garlic chive lengths into the batter, turning them so that every length is coated. Keep the chives in their distinct strips rather than breaking or mincing them, so that they run visibly through the finished pancake and give it both structure and a clean bite. Every piece should be wrapped in batter before the mixture goes into the pan.
4. 4
   Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat and add the oil generously — enough to pool slightly across the surface — so that the underside fries in fat rather than steams against a dry pan, producing a crust instead of a pallid skin. Pour in the batter mixture and press it flat with a spatula to an even, thin round. This is where the dish lives or dies: do not move the pancake until the edges are visibly set and opaque and the underside, when lifted at the edge, is deep golden and crisp.
5. 5
   Flip the pancake in a single confident movement, then add a little more oil around the edge if the pan surface looks dry, so the second side colours evenly rather than catching in patches. Cook until that side is equally golden and the raw sheen has left the surface — the garlic chive aroma will deepen and turn sweeter and more garlicky than the raw chives suggested, which tells you the pancake is cooked through.
6. 6
   Transfer to a board, cut into pieces, and serve immediately with the dipping sauce alongside. The crust softens quickly, so the pancake should be eaten while the contrast between the crisp exterior and the tender, chive-threaded interior is still present.