Paired with Badlands Brewing’s Fog
Toronto cook Julia Hancock-Song takes inspiration from the Korean side of her family and transforms them into easy comfort snacks. While these veggie pancakes can be made for any meal, Julia recommends eating them right over the stove as a late-night snack. The sweet and spicy STFU sauce highlights the freshness of the vegetable medley while adding pops of flavour to this light meal. The quantity of gochujang and the variety of mustard can be altered depending on your heat preference.
Pairing this dish with a hazy IPA will accentuate the flavours of the sauce, without tempering its boldness. Fog, from Badlands Brewing in Caledon, was the first beer the brewery ever made. When first poured, this overly aromatic beer greets you with the charming smell of citrus and a thick white head. This cloudy pale-yellow beer is hopped with Citra, Azacca and Ekuanot, resulting in fruity tasting notes such as navel orange, tropical fruit candy, and according to Badlands, nostalgia. Fog leaves you with a complex crisp piney aftertaste so delicious that you can’t wait for your next sip. —Sabryna Ekstein
Ingredients
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side or snack
STFU Sauce
• ½ cup kewpie mayonnaise (regular mayonnaise works too)
• 2 tsp gochujang
• 1½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp mustard—the spicier the better
• 1 tsp furikake seasoning
• ½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
Pancakes
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup cold water
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup grated cheddar
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp white sugar
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• ½ cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
• ½ cup julienned zucchini
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
• ½ cup neutral oil for frying, such as canola
Garnish
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 scallion, finely sliced
Directions
STFU Sauce
1. Mix all ingredients. Taste and blow your mind.
Pancakes
1. Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl until combined. Mix in ½ cup of the cold water, reserving some for adjustments. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and sugar, then whisk gently until the mixture is smooth.
2. Switching to a rubber spatula, stir in the grated cheese, followed by all the vegetables. Add more water a tablespoon at a time if the batter feels too thick; the batter should just coat the vegetables, rather than clumping up or pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
3. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat for at least 3 minutes. Turn down to medium-high and add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan; if it’s hot enough, a small drop of batter should sizzle on contact.
4. Add the pancake mix a dollop at a time, stirring the mix each time before you take a scoop. After you put each pancake down, gently spread them out in the pan by nudging apart the veggies with a spatula until they form a thin layer. I like to fit three pancakes at a time in a 12-inch skillet, but it’s also fine to go one at a time.
5. Flip each pancake when the bottom is a deep golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Continue fearlessly adding oil anytime the pan looks dry. When both sides are browned, remove each pancake from the pan to drain on a paper towel.
6. Garnish the pancakes with scallions and sesame seeds and serve with STFU sauce for dipping. Serve as immediately as possible. They’ll be delicious either way, but that fresh-off-the-heat crispiness is something special.
Note: Squash, potatoes, leeks, onions, radishes, and even sweet corn make great additions or substitutions for the vegetables listed.