Bungeoppang

Ingredients

• 6⅓ ozwheat flourfor the batter, cake flour works too
• 1¼ ozSugarcaster or icing sugar
• 2 tspbaking powdersifted
• 1 pinchSalt
• ¾ cupMilkgives a thin batter; water is used as well
• 1Egg
• ½ ozButtermelted, into the batter
• 5¼ ozsweet red bean pasteclassic filling, about 1–1.5 tbsp per fish
• 1 tspvanilla extractto flavour the batter (optional)
• 2 tbspVegetable oilneutral, for greasing the mould

Method

1. Mix the dry ingredientsMix the flour, sugar, sifted baking powder and a pinch of salt together thoroughly in a bowl.
2. Make the batterWhisk the milk, egg and melted butter together, add the vanilla extract if you like, then stir into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, thin batter; if lumps hold on, a quick go with a stick blender sorts it out.
3. Transfer batter to a jugPour the batter into a jug with a spout — it makes filling the moulds far tidier later on.
4. Preheat the fish mouldHeat the fish mould over medium-low heat and grease it thinly with vegetable oil.
5. Fill the moulds and add fillingFill each mould about 50 to 70 percent full with batter, set 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of red bean paste in the middle and cover completely with more batter.
6. Bake on both sidesClose the mould, flip it straight away and bake for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning it several times until both sides are golden brown.
7. Trim and cool the fishEase the pastries out of the mould, trim off the frill of batter around the edges and let the fish cool briefly on a rack.
8. Serve while warmServe the bungeoppang while still warm.

Tips and variations

Instead of red bean paste, fill them with vanilla custard, chocolate or hazelnut spread, or go savoury with ham and cheese. For a chewier, softer crumb swap part of the flour for glutinous rice flour; for a fruity version work desiccated coconut, coconut milk and stiffly beaten egg white into the batter and serve with a strawberry and shiso salad. As a shortcut you can use ready-made pancake mix in place of the dry ingredients you'd mix yourself, and to skip the batter altogether, press shop-bought croissant or puff pastry into the mould, fill it and bake. With no fish mould at hand, cook the batter as small round pancakes in a non-stick pan and pass the filling separately. If you'd rather not keep flipping, bake the closed mould in one go for about 5 minutes. Serve the fish warm with honey and tea — cold, they pack well in a lunchbox.