Korean – Jeon

by Evelyn Brutz

Jeon is a kind of fritters used as a snack and in brunch. It is very common go-to food of Korean Cuisine. This is made up of vegetables, fish, chicken, meat and then shapes either like a pancake or thick cutlet-like. It is then coated with flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. This snack like all the snacks is fried. This can also be baked into the oven and air-fried. It is a sub-type of Buchimgae. This is very healthy if you only add the appropriate amount of vegetable and fish meat, with less oil to just grease it and air fried. This is also very crunchy and has a thick coat of bread crumbs to make it maintained its shape. It is usually cooked like a pancake, in which batter of Jeon is placed in the pan with minimal oil then spread like a loaf of bread or pancake. Cook it from both sides and serve.

It is served as :

• Appetizer
• Anju
• Banchan

APPETIZERS

Appetizer or you can say starter is the small meal or food served before the main course. It is either a hot or cold meal, used to increase the appetite or just start the meal. It must be very light so the stomach space is empty for the proper meal. In French, this meal is known as ‘‘Out Of the Work”.

Even you can serve drinks before the meal as a starter, You can serve snacks and fried items, soups, etc. But the main focus is the meal should be small. One bite meal is more proper for the fried items to be served.

With the fried items, dips are served:

• Mayo dip
• Cheese dip
• Hummus
• Ketchup
• Green chili sauce
• Hot sauce

BANCHAN

This is named for the side dishes served with the main Korean meal. Banchan is the part of the meal, that is mainly served along with the main course rice dish. Like sometimes curries, gravies, fried snacks, fritters, cutlets, Finger fish, etc. This dish, jeon is also had the elements to served with the main rice dish as the kick of flavors.

To add the crunchiness to the liquid item like soup. It can be served as Papadum along with curries, gravies, soups. It is served in small portions that can kick up the main course flavors. This is a side dish to serve with the main dish as the companion.

Many Banchan dishes are served in Korean Cuisine:

• Kimchi
• Namul
• Bokkeum
• Jeon
• Jorium
• Jjim
• Japchae

ANJU

Anju is a Korean term used to call that snacks, served with alcohol. These are more towards the fried items and fritters, fries, cutlets, chips, etc. Koju is the main alcohol used in Korean cuisine as the after-party food, and meetings, gatherings, etc. This is very famous to serve Jeon with Koju

• Like Beer is served with Tteokbokki.

• Makgeoli is served with Kimchi

• Wine with cheese platter.

• Soju with Jeon.

WHAT IS BUCHIMGAE?

Buchimgae is the Korean Pancake, used to cooked mainly with vegetables and smoked eggs. This is a broad pancake like a pizza. This is cooked on the frying pan like a huge pancake and served it with many dips. This is cut in a triangular manner like a pizza. The very thick batter of eggs, vegetables, meat is flattened in the pan and then cook from both sides. This may look like fritters if you cooked it in a small size. Like cutlets and fritters, it is very crispy. Crunchy from outside with the softness and juiciness of the Jeon.

There are different kinds of Buchimgae from which Jeon is the type of this Korean Pancake, Buchimgae.

• Hobak Buchingae
• Jeon Buchimgae
• Bindae tteok
• Jang tteok

SELECTION OF INGREDIENTS

There are many different kinds of ingredients you can put in this dish. It will go with eggs then fried to with nice taste.

MEAT VARIETIES

Following are the best meat varieties go with this dish :

• Sparrow meat
• Chicken
• Beef slices
• Beef of omasum
• Pork liver
• Brain
• Pheasant meat
• Beef tripe
• Mutton legs meat

SEAFOOD VARIETIES

• Prawns
• Smoked salmon
• Fish
• Crab
• Octopus
• Shark
• Sea cucumbers
• Codfish
• Shrimp

VEGETABLES VARIETIES

• Capsicum
• Mushrooms
• Sprouts
• Bamboo shoot
• Tofu
• Doraji
• Aehobak
• Mu
• Brachen
• Egg plant
• Mugwort
• Garlic chives

FLOWERS (HWAJEON)

• Gardenia flowers
• Chrysanthus
• Rose
• Lilly

DIPS AND SAUCE

• Sweet tangy soy dip
• Choganjang
• Kimchi jun sauce
• Pajeon sauce
• Toasty dipping sauce
• Gamja sauce
• Soy vinegar sauce

INGREDIENTS

• White plain flour : 1 cup
• Eggs : 3
• Rice flour : 1/2 cup
• Salt : 1 tablespoon
• Scallions : 2
• Corns : 200 grams
• Salted salmon : 200 grams
• Pork : 200 grams
• Cabbage : 1 cup

COOKING

• To cook this jeon, mix all the ingrdeints in the large mixing bowl.
• Mix it well, if batter is hard and tough add water to make it little dripping.
• Grease the pan with olive oil or butter and add a spoon full of batter.
• Turn when cooked and serve.