Thai Crispy Seafood Pancake Skillet (Hoi Tod)

Sharing another of my favorite Thai street food dish recipe and also pescatarian friendly, the crispy and savory pancake in a skillet boasts wholesome mix seafood and a unique batter which has a mochi like inner texture and a crispy outer bite. ​

Now, the traditional version of Hoi Tod is synonymous with Mussels and Oysters as the main protein. However, I like to enjoy the various fruits of the sea so why not reinvent this dish with all kinds of seafood ingredients. In addition, you can enjoy the crispy bits longer if plated in a skillet. For this recipe I'm using a cast iron skillet pan to cook the pancake and also serve with it as well. Hoi Tod is usually accompanied with stir-fried Chinese chives and bean sprouts which I've quickly tossed in a wok and garnished the skillet with a generous serving. A bright tangy and spicy homemade sauce using an authentic version of the famous Sriracha sauce as a base pulls everything together sparking joy in your mouth!

For those of you who have not used a cast iron skillet pan before, I highly recommend getting one because it will change your cooking life! The Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet is a perfect way to start your cast iron collection and get familiar with using cast iron in general. It's affordable and will instantly elevate all kinds of dishes especially steaks which you can get a really nice crust with this. Plus, it probably will last a lifetime if you take care of it well!

Thai Crispy Seafood Pancake Skillet (Hoi Tod)

Time: 30 min
Course: Entree
Serving: 2

Ingredients

Pancake
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp potato flour
6 tbsp water
1 tsp oyster sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup of mix seafood, defrosted and drained of excess water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Chives and bean sprouts condiment
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 cup of Chinese chives, cut into 2 in long lengths
1 tbsp canola oil
a pinch of salt and pepper

​Sauce
4 tbsp Thai Sriracha sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp red chili flakes

How to make it?

1. Combine the sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a small dipping bowl.

2. Combine the all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, water, oyster sauce, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk until combine. Set aside. The batter should be very runny.

3. Heat the cast iron skillet pan to medium high heat. Add half of the portioned oil, 1/8 cup, into the pan. 

4. When you start seeing a little bit of smoke, add the seafood mix. Make sure you drain the water content and pat with paper towel to reduce the water residue prior to adding into the pan. Allow the raw seafood mix to cook for a 2-4 minutes or until most of the excess water from the seafood has completely evaporated. Continuously stir the seafood so that it doesn't get burnt and cooks evenly. If using previously cooked seafood mix, reduce the cooking time accordingly.

5. Add the other half of the canola oil to the pan. Reduce heat to medium. While allowing the new oil to heat up, evenly spread out the mix seafood in the pan. Wait until you see a little bit of smoke emitted which means the oil is heated.

6. Take the batter and whisk it again to thoroughly distribute the flour in the mixture. Drizzle the batter content into the pan.

7. Immediately follow with the beaten eggs. Evenly drizzle the beaten eggs right on top of the frying batter. Let the pancake sit for about 5 minutes or until the bottom side is crispy. Adjust the heat depending on your stove top so that the batter cooks slowly to reach an evenly crispy texture. Insert a spatula to the bottom side and try to wedge out the pancake. This will help you inspect how well the bottom side is cooking and also enable an easier flip once the bottom side is cooked.

8. Flip the pancake to allow the under-cooked side to crisp up. Drizzle a little bit of oil in the outer rim of the pancake after the flip to facilitate the cooking process. The pancake should be crispy and brown after cooking for about 5 more minutes. Becareful of overcooking the pancake. You still want a mochi like soft texture in the middle.

9. While waiting for the pancake to cook, heat a wok to high heat. Add the canola oil.

10. When the oil smokes, pour the bean sprouts and chives into the wok. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in high heat until the bean sprouts are al-dente, about 30 seconds. The chives cook very quickly so by the time the sprouts are cooked the chives should also be slightly wilted. 

​11. Once the pancake is crispy and brown on both sides, garnish the pancake in the cast iron skillet pan with the cooked chives and beansprouts.

12. Served hot in the cast iron skillet pan with the prepared sauce. For an authentic experience, Thai people love to enjoy this dish with raw whole chive stems. 

Aroy Mak! What's your favorite Thai street food?