Flavors that anchor and make us feel at home continue to haunt and have guided me as a writer and cook. I was especially reminded of this when I returned to my birth country in 2008 for the Korean-language edition of my first book, "Trail of Crumbs."
Luckily, I was paired with Seung Hee, a fellow food lover, avid home cook and U.S.-trained nutritionist who worked as my interpreter. She also guided me through the city of Seoul, introducing me to vibrant street foods and more traditional fare, making me feel at home in a country that still remains a mystery to me. When she came to visit me in Alaska recently, she fell in love with our farmers markets packed with kale, turnips and all manner of sweet and fragrant vegetables.
Back in the kitchen with our market goods, we reminisced about some of the food we had eaten together, including these Korean pancakes spiked with gochujang, a lusty chili paste unique to Korean cuisine. You can find tubs of it in the Asian section of most markets.
These vegetable fritter-like pancakes are packed with local kale and green onion, a vegetarian's delight. For a meatier version, I like to chop up some Alaska-grown beef bacon from Mat Valley Meats. Traditionally, these are made with ground pork, but you can substitute smoked bacon or omit meat altogether for a vegetarian version.
These are easy to master once you get the hang of pan-frying at the right temperature. Even my enthusiastic neighbor's daughter, Emilie, a 12-year-old up-and-coming chef, has mastered them. It's best to use a heavy-bottom pan or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. The batter should sizzle and dance when it hits the hot oil. Koreans love their savory pancakes and crave this dish particularly when it's raining because the sizzling sound mimics the music of raindrops.
Savory kale pancakes
Makes 4 to 5 pancakes
4 cups packed thinly sliced kale, about 1 bunch (some of the tougher parts of the stem removed)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons gochujang, Korean chili paste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 strips cooked bacon (about 1 cup), optional
About 4 tablespoons vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil
Soy-vinegar dipping sauce (see recipe below)
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine water and gochujang, stirring occasionally with a large spoon and pressing paste against the bowl to loosen it up; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add kale, green onions, flour, bacon, eggs and gochujang water mixture. Mix gently just to combine, preferably using hands to gently incorporate the ingredients. The batter should appear as if the flour is barely binding the vegetables and bacon together. Not to worry, though, they will all come together in the pan; as the kale cooks, the liquid that's released will also help bind the batter.
3. Add about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to an 8- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot and almost smoking, add about one-fourth of the mixture to the pan; the batter should sizzle and dance but not burn. Press down on pancake, using the back of a spatula or large spoon to form an even layer. Cook on one side about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp; flip and cook other side another minute or two until golden and crisp. It's best to flip only once. Place on a cooling rack to prevent steaming.
4. Serve at once with soy vinegar dipping sauce. If making ahead, reheat a minute or two total in the skillet.
Soy-vinegar dipping sauce
A classic dipping sauce used in a wide range of Korean dishes such as jeon (pancakes) and grilled fish.
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce; Kikkoman is fine (or tamari)
1/2 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon finely-chopped green onions (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
In a small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar; stir to combine. Stir in green onion and sesame oil, if using. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Serve in a bowl with a small spoon for easy serving or use individual sauce bowls and pour as needed.
Kim Sunée ate and lived in Europe for 10 years before working as a food editor for Southern Living magazine and Cottage Living magazine. Her writing has appeared in Food & Wine, The Oxford American and Asian American Poetry and Writing. She is currently based in Anchorage. Her most recent cookbook is "A Mouthful of Stars." For more food and travel, visit kimsunee.com.