Give peace a chance

What do John Lennon and Korean Oyster Pancakes have in common? Ostensibly nothing, but they both feed the soul. JL would have turned 80 last Friday, October 9th, and that's something surely to contemplate. If there was ever a time for music to bring us together, it's now. And his iconic message of peace remains incredibly comforting: which brings us to Korean Oyster Pancakes.

Comfort Food

With the world reeling, children schooling from home, and parents trying to stay afloat, not to mention the election (Get out the Vote!) what we all need is a bit of comfort. Comfort comes in many shapes and flavors, but try this on for size. Our dear friend Monica Lo of @Sousweed made these to-die-for Korean Oyster Pancakes (using MyKoreanKitchen recipe). She used our Sweetheart Creeks: they are on the bigger side and perfect for a fry-up. 
 

Korean Oyster Pancakes

 

• 150g / 5 ounces fresh shelled oysters (about 15 oysters)
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp rice wine
• Cracked ground black pepper (or white pepper)
• A few sprinkles fine sea salt
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 stalks green onions (or garlic chives), finely chopped
• 1 red chili (optional), seeds removed & thinly sliced
• Some cooking oil 

1. Rinse the oysters in cold water. Remove any sand or debris. Drain the water for a few minutes.

2. Put the flour into a clean plastic bag and add the oysters. Shake to coat with flour.

3. Combine eggs, rice wine, black pepper, and scallions and salt. Beat them well. Put the oysters into the egg mixture and coat them well. 

4. Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add some oil. Place oysters into the pan. (If you’re using chili slices, add one chili slice per oyster now.) Cook until the bottom of the oyster pancake is lightly golden (1 to 2 mins) then turn it over to cook the other side.

Dipping Sauce

• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp water
• 4 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 10g (0.4 ounces) thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 tsp Korean chili flakes 
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chopped scallions 

 PC: John Lennon Archives, Monica Lo, @Sousweed