Kkaennip-jeon (Stuffed Perilla Leaf Jeon)

Kkaennip-jeon lives or dies by restraint. The leaf is thin, the filling is small, and the pan cannot be rushed. Overfill it and the meat pushes out. Fry it too hot and the egg browns before the center is cooked. This is not difficult food, but it asks for tidy hands.

My teacher, Master Seong-nyeo, made us weigh the filling once, then divide it by sight after that. 눈동냥, 귀동냥, borrowing with the eyes and ears, only works after the hand has learned the number. For one large perilla leaf, 1 rounded tablespoon of filling is enough. The leaf should still close flat, like a small green envelope.

On a holiday table, kkaennip-jeon sits beside donggeurang-ttaeng (small meat patties), saengseon-jeon (fish jeon), and skewered sanjeok, but it never tastes heavy because the perilla cuts through the meat. Make it for Chuseok, bring it to a potluck, or eat it warm with rice and kimchi on an ordinary evening. Write down the size of your leaves and the amount of filling that fit them. Memory is a borrowed bowl.