Giardiniera Pancakes
Crispy tart pancakes filled with spicy pickled veggies, these giardiniera pancakes are inspired by Korean kimchi pancakes, and they pack just as much flavor! The brine and flavor of giardiniera might be even stronger than in the kimchi version.
The inspiration for this recipe
Kimchi pancakes are one of my favorite foods, so I have made other pancakes inspired by them. Giardiniera is basically the kimchi of chicago, so I figured it would be a perfect fit in these pancakes! The crunchy tart veggies matched great with the crisp pancake batter that uses cornstarch to get extra crispy in the pan.
Prep the giardiniera
Strain the veggies from the brine, but save the brine to use later! Then chop all the veggies nice and fine.
Make the pancakes
I also added some scallions. I put in a pinch of salt but you don’t need it, the giardiniera is already very salty and has enough salt to season the whole pancake. Then add flour, cornstarch, and the giardiniera brine and stir to combine!
Cook the giardiniera pancakes
Preheat a pan super hot with plenty of oil and add the batter. Spread it out in the pan.
The hardest part is flipping! You could do it in two smaller pancakes to make it easier if you want.
Serve the giardiniera pancakes
Allow to cool for 5 minutes. I like to do it on a rack so it stays crispy on all sides. Then cut it into 6 or 8 pieces depending on how many people are sharing it.
Gochujang mayo for dipping
I made a simple gochujang mayo to serve with this giardiniera pancake. After mixing a little gochujang into the mayo, add a little celery seed. This ties the flavors back to the giardiniera.
Crispy, crunchy, and so much flavor!
Twists on this giardiniera pancake
For more info on making Korean pancakes, check out this great recipe and guide. You could add some pickles or kimchi to the giardiniera in these if you wanted to mix it up. You could also add a raw veggie if you wanted the final product to be less intensely flavored.
For more fun twists on kimchi pancakes check out my pickle pancakes, buffalo cauliflower pancakes, street corn pancakes, or this amazing burger on kimchi pancake buns!
Giardiniera Pancake
Ingredients
Gochujang mayo
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1/2 teaspoon ground celery seed
Pancakes
- 1 cup diced giardiniera
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup juice from the giardiniera jar
- oil
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients together. Stir to combine. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
- Add the chopped giardiniera to a bowl. It's up to you how much you want to dice it, you can leave it more chunky or cut it more fine. Stir in the chopped scallions.
- Stir in the flour and cornstarch. Mix in the giardiniera juice to form a thick pancake batter.
- Preheat a heavy frying pan to high heat with some oil. Add in the pancake mixture and spread it out. Cook about 5-10 minutes on high heat, then flip and cook another 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 6 or 8 slices. Serve.