Buchujeon – Korean pancakes with wild garlic Recipe
Buchujeon are thin pancakes made from flour and plenty of green leaves, usually garlic chives or spring onions in Korea. In this version we use wild garlic, which is easy to find in Europe during spring and has a similarly garlicky aroma. The pancakes are lightly crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, and taste great with a simple soy dipping sauce.
This recipe combines a classic Korean street-food style pancake with seasonal European wild garlic, creating a dish that is both familiar and new. The batter is simple, but the generous amount of greens and the contrasting textures of crisp edges and soft centre make these pancakes surprisingly addictive.
Chef's tips
Use very cold water for the batter – it helps the pancakes become crisper on the outside. Don’t overcrowd the pan and resist the temptation to flip too early; wait until the bottom is nicely golden and the edges lift on their own. If your wild garlic leaves are very large, cut them shorter so they are easier to coat in the batter and flip in the pan.
How to serve
Serve buchujeon as a shared starter in the middle of the table, cut into bite-sized pieces. Pair them with kimchi, pickled vegetables or a simple cucumber salad. They also work well as a side dish for Korean-style mains such as bibimbap or grilled tofu.
Ingredients
- wild garlic - 80 g
- wheat flour - 120 g
- potato starch - 30 g
- water - 220 ml
- salt - 0.5 teaspoon
- vegetable oil - 3 tablespoon
- soy sauce - 2 tablespoon
- rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- water - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoon
- chili flakes - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Wash the wild garlic leaves thoroughly, dry them and cut into strips about 4–5 cm long.
- In a bowl, mix the wheat flour, potato starch and salt.
- Gradually pour in the cold water, whisking until you get a smooth, fairly thin batter with the consistency of thick cream.
- Add the chopped wild garlic to the batter and mix well so the leaves are evenly coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Pour some of the batter into the pan, spreading it thinly into a round pancake about 3–4 mm thick. If your pan is large, you can fry two smaller pancakes at the same time.
- Fry the pancake for 3–4 minutes, until the bottom is golden and the edges start to lift slightly. Carefully flip it with a wide spatula and fry for another 2–3 minutes, until the other side is browned as well.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more tablespoons of oil to the pan as needed.
- In a small bowl, prepare the sauce: mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sugar and chili flakes until the sugar dissolves.
- Cut the fried pancakes into triangles or strips with a knife or kitchen scissors and serve hot with a bowl of dipping sauce.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
Wild garlic season is short, so I like to make these pancakes several times while it lasts. They are quick to prepare and a great way to showcase the fresh, green flavour of the leaves without overpowering the dish. If you already love Korean pancakes with spring onions, this wild garlic version will likely become a new spring favourite.
