These are not the most beautiful seafood and green onion pancakes, but they are the most versatile. Adapted from a J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recipe, these savory pancakes can be made with nearly any combination of seafood, including canned tuna or salmon, making it easy for a quick weeknight dinner. Serve them warm or serve them room temperature, but be sure to serve them with the tasty dipping sauce.
For the dipping sauce:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice or black vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
For the pancakes:
- 8 ounces mixed seafood (I recommend canned tuna, oysters, mussels, or surimi)
- 6 green onions, split lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ounces (about 3/4 cup) flour
- 1 ounce cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) cold water
- 1 egg
- Avocado oil, for pan-frying
- Make the dipping sauce: combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
- Make the pancakes: combine the seafood, green onions, flour, cornstarch, sugar, water and egg in a large mixing bowl. Stir rapidly with a spoon just until no dry flour remains (do not over mix). The batter should be thin enough to flow when you tilt the bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the bottom of a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add just enough batter that you can spread it into a thin pancake with the back of a spoon (you should be able to make 2 10-inch pancakes or several smaller pancakes). Let the pancake cook without moving until the bottom of the pancake is set, about 2 minutes.
- Continue to cook, swirling the pancake around to encourage even browning until the first side is browned, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancake. Continue cooking until the second side is also browned, about 4 minutes longer.
- Slide the pancake out onto a cutting board. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for remaining batter. Cut into wedges with a knife or pizza slicer and serve with the dipping sauce.