Kimchi Pancakes

Fat kimchi pancakes, with kimchi from the amazing Kimmy at KimchiRadish, topped with pan fried mushrooms, chilli oil and bits from the garden. These pancakes are chunky, fluffy and full of fermented funk and crunch. If you have an appetite for sour flavours, serve with a dollop of cream cheese, tangy yoghurt or creme fraiche.

Kimmy’s Kimchi Pancakes
Serves 2 hungry people

Pancakes

• 150g Plain flour (spelt, wholemeal, or anything heritage)

• 150g Milk (whole milk/barista plant milk)

• 300g Kimchi

• 1/2tsp Baking powder

• A pinch of salt

Toppings

• 100g Mushrooms (I used king oyster, enoki, shimeji)

• 2 Fresh radish

• 100g Mougetout / peas / french beans

• 1 tbsp Chilli oil

• 2 tbsp Cream cheese

• A drizzle of cooking oil

• 1 Shallot / onion leaf, thinly sliced to garnish

• Optional: 1 tbsp smokey BBQ sauce OR soy sauce and mirin

Step 1.

Measure out the pancake ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together. The batter should be thick enough to drop from a spoon after a second or so. Set aside for a minute.

Step 2.

Add the mushrooms to a hot frying pan with a drizzle of cooking oil. Don’t stir them too much as this will release heat from the pan and cause them to steam, changing their texture from sticky, browned mushrooms to slimey steamed mushrooms. Fry for 10 minutes.

Step 3.

Preheat a shallow sided frying pan as the mushrooms cook and add a little oil. When the pan is piping hot, add half the pancake batter and spread it out to fill the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then flip it using a spatula. The pancake should be a beautiful reddy golden colour. Once both sides are cooked, pop it somewhere warm to hot hold whilst you cook the second one.

Step 4.

Finally, add the other ingredients to the mushroom pan and cook for another 30 seconds. We want the peas to still have a raw crunch but cook enough to release more sweetness. Add either the BBQ sauce or soy sauce and mirin and let both reduce to glaze the vegetables. To serve, top each pancake with the vegetables, cream cheese, and drizzle with chilli oil. Finally, thinly slice an onion or shallot leaf (or chives) and sprinkle over the top.