This dish is prepared by placing colorful savory pancakes made by pan-frying flour with egg-covered meat, fish and vegetables. Modum-jeon made of ae-hobak-jeon (pan-fried Korean young squash), saengseon-jeon (pan-fried white fish fillet) and gogi-jeon (pan-fried beef cakes).
Pan-fried Korean young squash
- 1 Korean young squash (10oz, 300g), salt as needed, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, salt, vegetables oil as needed
Pan-fried fish fillets
- 8oz (250g) cod fillets (or any white fishes such as the croaker, pollack, sole, etc.), salt and ground black pepper as needed, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, vegetable oil as needed
Pan-fried beef cakes
- 7 oz (200g) ground beef, top round, ⅓ block of firm dubu (tofu) (3½ oz, 100g), ½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, vegetable oil as needed
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon minced green onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cho-ganjang (Soy sauce with vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ½ teaspoon pine nuts, ground (optional)
- Slice Korean young squash crosswise into ¼-inch (0.5-cm) thick rounds. Season lightly with salt.
- Slice the white fish fillet into bite-sized pieces.
- Wrap the dubu in clean cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. Using a fork, finely mash it.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mashed dubu. Add all the ingredients of the marinade and mix well. Shape into flat cakes, about 1~2-inch (3~5-cm) in diameter and ½-inch (1-cm) thick.
- Beat eggs well in a bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients to make cho-ganjang for dipping.
- Pat dry the seasoned squash with a paper towel to remove exess water.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Dredge the squash with flour and then dip into beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with cho-ganjang.
- Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper on fish fillets.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Dredge the fish fillets with flour, and then dip into beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with cho-ganjang.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Dredge the beef cakes with flour, then dip into beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with cho-ganjang.
Ingredients for savory pancakes include vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato, saesongi (king oyster) mushrooms and pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms, white fish such as cod, croaker and frozen pollack and seafood such as shrimp and oysters. For meat pancakes, beef and pork may be used. There are two types of meat pancakes. One is yuk-jeon, which is made from sliced meat, and the other is gogijeon, which is made from meatballs with added dubu (tofu) seasoned with various spices. Dubu in gogijeon adds moisture and savour.
