Asparagus Gochujang Pancakes

I picked up one of my Ottolenghi cookbooks recently, Flavor, published in 2020, and after looking through it I decided this is another book that I could cook out of for a year. So many many fantastic recipes, like this one – asparagus and gochujang pancakes with a delicious dipping sauce.

According to Ottolenghi: “These pancakes are springy and less cakey than regular pancakes, which helps preserve the texture of the asparagus. They are only moderately spicy and are wonderful when served at a weekend breakfast or as a light lunch or supper.”

He suggests serving the pancakes with an avocado salad and grilled prawns, but my mind went directly to eggs!

The asparagus are cooked in the skillet, and green onions are added before they’re covered with the pancake batter. This recipe could easily be altered to include other vegetables, such as thin slices of Brussels sprouts or peas, but I do love the look of the “lines” of asparagus.

The whole process is a bit tedious, for me, but so well worth it. Just the pancake batter on its own is wonderful, so keep that in mind if the asparagus slicing seems too daunting.

Asparagus Gochujang Pancakes

Dipping Sauce
3 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 red chile, seeded and finely chopped

Pancakes
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
Table or kosher salt, as needed
1 large egg
1 1/3 cup ice-cold water
4 1/2 teaspoon gochujang (adjust according to the brand you are using)
1/4 cup cilantro, both leaves and stems, roughly chopped, plus more to serve
1/2 red chile, seeded and finely chopped
5 tablespoon sunflower oil
14 ounce asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded, spears halved lengthwise
4 1/2 ounce or about 6 to 7 total scallions, halved crosswise and then again lengthwise

For the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, vinegar, garlic, and chile until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare asparagus and green onions.

Put both flours into a large bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, and mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the egg, water, gochujang, cilantro, and chile. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, slowly pour in the wet ingredients, and whisk until just smooth; don’t overmix.

Add just over 1 tbsp of the sunflower oil to a 7-inch/18cm nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add one-fourth of the asparagus, all pointing in the same direction, and a tiny pinch of salt and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning the asparagus over a few times, or until beginning to soften and color. Add one-fourth of the green onions and cook for 30 seconds more.

Pour in about one-fourth of the pancake batter, spreading it to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook for 2 1/2 minutes before flipping and cooking for 2 1/2 minutes more, or until crispy and golden.

Transfer to a plate and continue in this way to make four pancakes in total. You may need to adjust the heat and timings a little as you go along.

Divide the pancakes among two plates, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, and serve with the sauce alongside or lightly drizzled on top.

The dipping sauce is fantastic.