[Taste of Hansik] Up your jeon game with fresh squash

Diverge from the classic jeon variations that use just green scallions or kimchi, and branch out by using almost any ingredient readily available in your city.

Jeon, often deceivingly described as Korean-style pancakes, is a pan-fried or battered fritter-type local food.

While zucchinis are one of the more popular choices to make jeon with, squash can make for a special variation when you want something different. Chef Park Jun-seoung of restaurant Logi in Seoul is here to show how to make jeon with squash, simply. Together with an accompanying dipping sauce made with ganjang (soy sauce), the dish will have a definite Korean flavor profile.

Ingredients:

100 grams of squash, 50 grams of flour, 50 milliliters of water, 10 grams of sugar, 5 grams of salt, 20 grams of cooking oil
Sauce: 10 grams of ganjang (soy sauce), 5 grams of sugar, 5 grams of minced garlic, 5 grams of chopped onions

Directions:

Cut a squash into four equal pieces. Scoop out the seeds in one section.

Peel the skin off the squash, and then chop the squash into thin circles.

Put the chopped squash circles in a bowl and mix together with the flour, sugar, salt and water.

Check the consistency of the dough by watching it drip from the spoon.

Coat a pan with cooking oil and grill the mix. Flip over once when the entire jeon is cooked enough to not stick to the pan when shaken. When both sides are cooked, set aside.

To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Move the sauce to a small dish.

Cut the cooked jeon into eight pieces on the cutting board. Move them to a plate and serve with the sauce.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [lee.sunmin@joongang.co.kr]