Scallion Pancakes

Scallion Pancake

I pride myself on my ability to cook different cuisines. I love to make Indian, Italian, French, Korean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Japanese and American dishes. The one cuisine I'm really not good at making is Chinese food. You would think it's in my blood given that both my parents are from Taiwan and my ancestors fled from Mainland China to Taiwan. I love to eat Chinese food, but tend to shy away from making it. Today I opened up The Best of China: A Cookbook by Evie Righter, recipes by Grace Young. I took one look at the scallion pancake recipe and knew I had to make them. I am quite pleased with how they turned out. They were crispy, light and had a nice flavor. Serve with your favorite soy based dipping sauce. Ingredients for the dipping sauce pictured below: scallions, sesame seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, Korean red chili pepper powder and a little water.

If I can procure the ingredients, my next to-do Chinese project will be turnip cakes (law bok gow). Soon we will be in dim sum heaven.

Mixing with chopsticks to form dough

Kneaded until smooth

Roll out into a 6- to 7-inch round

Brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and scallions

Roll into a cylinder

Coil to form a spiral

Roll out to 6- to 7-inch round

Scallion Pancakes
Adapted from The Best of China: A Cookbook by Grace Young

2 cups all-purpose flour plus about 1/4 cup for kneading
1 t sugar
2/3 cup boiling water
1/4 to 2/3 cup cold water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup minced scallions
vegetable oil or olive oil to brush onto pancakes and panfry

In a large bowl combine flour and sugar. Stir in the boiling water and mix with chopsticks until the water is absorbed. Add the cold water gradually (one tablespoon at a time) so that a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with a damp towel and let rest for one hour.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and cover with the damp towel.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough into a 6- to 7-inch round. Lightly brush with vegetable or olive oil. Evenly scatter salt and scallions on the round then roll up into a tight cylinder. Coil the cylinder around itself into a spiral and pinch the end under the dough. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Cover the coil with damp towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the coiled dough on a floured surface into 6- to 7- inch rounds.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and carefully panfry the pancake 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden. Slice into 6 wedges and serve immediately.

Cut into 6 slices

Thin flaky layers

Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce