Crispy Cheese Gamja Jeon (Potato Pancake with Cheese)
A snack pancake made with julienned potatoes and cheese, pan-fried to be as crispy as deep-fried food.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This pancake dish features thinly julienned potatoes mixed with just a small amount of potato starch, pan-fried to achieve a crispiness reminiscent of deep-fried food. It is filled generously with pizza cheese for a savory richness. Not overly seasoned, it makes an ideal snack for children as well as a great accompaniment for beer.
- Servings
- about 1–2 servingsOriginal: 1 pancake, 24 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
- Potato3, 250 g
- Pizza cheese (shredded mozzarella)1 cup
- Salta little
- Potato starch2 tbsp
- Use 3 small potatoes.
- Since this is made into a pancake, do not rinse the julienned potatoes in water; mix them as they are.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The ingredients are 3 small potatoes and 1 cup of pizza cheese (shredded mozzarella).
Julienne the potatoes
Cut the potatoes into very thin matchsticks.
Since we are making a pancake, do not rinse them in water; we will mix them into the batter as they are.
Mix the batter
Place the julienned potatoes in a bowl and add a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of potato starch.
Toss well so the salt and potato starch coat the potatoes evenly.
It may look like there is too little starch, but this amount is plenty.
Pan-fry the pancake
Heat a pan over high heat, grease generously with oil, and spread the potato mixture out thinly.
Reduce the heat slightly to medium-high, and shake the pan as it cooks so the oil absorbs evenly throughout.
Once the bottom turns crispy and golden brown, flip it over.
After flipping, scatter the pizza cheese over one half, fold it in half, and pan-fry until the surface turns crispy and golden brown.
Complete
Can a pancake really be this crispy without being deep-fried?
The crisped cheese crust that melts and scorches outside the potato shreds is also incredibly delicious.
Tear off a bite, and the crispiness delights your mouth, followed by the flavor of potato and the savory richness of cheese.
Dipping it in ketchup is nice, but I found it just as delicious as is.
Ppunwife's tips
- Freshly harvested new-crop potatoes are starchy, so you only need to add a little potato starch to help bind them together when pan-frying.
- If you finely chop bacon or ham and pan-fry it together, it makes an upscale drinking snack with beer.
FAQ
Should I rinse the julienned potatoes in water after cutting?
To help them bind into a pancake, do not rinse the julienned potatoes in water; mix them with their natural starch intact.
Isn't the amount of potato starch too small for the potato mixture?
Even with just a small amount of 2 tbsp of potato starch, the potatoes' own starch provides enough cohesion for them to fry up nicely.
Can I add other ingredients besides cheese?
Finely chopped bacon or ham pairs very well when added and pan-fried together.
