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Gujeolpan
구절판 · Nine-section palace platter of vegetables, mushrooms and egg rolled in tiny wheat crêpes
Gujeolpan (구절판) takes its name from the octagonal lacquered tray it is served on: eight outer compartments of finely cut, separately seasoned fillings around a stack of paper-thin wheat crêpes in the middle. It was a dish of the Seoul royal court and noble households, and it still appears at weddings, 60th birthdays and Seollal tables, where everyone builds their own little rolls. Classic trays include beef; this one keeps all the colour with shiitake, wood ear, cucumber, carrot, peppers, radish and yellow and white egg. It takes patience rather than skill. Chef's tip: cut every filling into matchsticks the same length as the crêpes are wide, about 5 cm, so each roll closes neatly.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the crêpes (milssam)
For the fillings
For the mustard dip
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz plain flour, ¾ cup water and ¼ tsp salt until smooth and leave to rest for 20 minutes; the batter should coat a spoon thinly, like single cream. If using ⅔ oz spinach, stir it into a third of the batter for green crêpes.
20 minStep 2: Sprinkle the 1 cucumber, 1 carrot and 4 oz Korean radish (mu) or daikon with a pinch each of 1 tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the water.
10 minStep 3: Heat a large non-stick pan over a low-medium heat and wipe with a little 3 tbsp neutral oil. Stir-fry the cucumber for 30 seconds, just until it turns brighter green, and spread it on a plate to cool. Repeat with the carrot, radish and 1 red pepper separately, a minute each, wiping the pan with oil between them.
Step 4: Toss 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and ⅓ oz dried wood ear mushrooms with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and half the 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, then stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the soy is absorbed and the shiitake look glossy and dark.
3 minStep 5: Blanch 4 oz mung bean sprouts in boiling salted water for 1 minute, drain, cool and season with the rest of the sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
2 minStep 6: Beat the yolks and whites from 3 eggs separately with a pinch of salt. Cook each as a thin sheet in the lightly oiled pan over a low heat until set but still pale, 1–2 minutes, then cut into fine 5 cm strips.
5 minStep 7: For the crêpes, wipe the pan with oil and keep it on a low heat. Drop in 1 tablespoon of batter and spread it with the back of the spoon into a 7–8 cm round. Cook for 30–40 seconds until the edges lift and the top turns from shiny to matt, flip for 10 seconds, and stack on a plate. They should stay pale; brown spots mean the pan is too hot.
20 minStep 8: Mix 1 tsp Korean or English mustard, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp water for the dip.
Step 9: Arrange the eight fillings in separate piles around a plate or tray with the crêpe stack in the centre, alternating the colours. To eat, lay a little of several fillings on a crêpe, roll it up and dip it. A common mistake is mixing the fillings or cooking them together, which muddies both the colours and the separate flavours the platter is about.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gujeolpan take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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