Scallion Pancakes
If you haven't gotten the message yet, having a pantry stocked with Asian staples is CRITICAL to surviving quarantine cooking during this pandemic. Think: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, mirin, Chinese rice wine, hoisin. A little ginger and miso in the fridge or freezer can't hurt, either.
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Our version of the Serious Eats’ scallion pancakes has been on repeat since the weekend, and I'm having so much fun perfecting them. Shout out to our cousin Jenny for letting us in on the whole "roll out and lightly salt...flip & roll out and lightly salt...flip & roll out and lightly salt" repetitive method of making the dough flaky and flavorful before frying. And if that inarticulate nonsense I just spewed sounds confusing, check out the video on our instagram highlights for some additional instruction. I also added a few shakes of Trader Joe’s umami seasoning for a little extra depth of flavor, natch.
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This super simple dough would also be insane with kimchi, which may actually be an easier staple to get your hands on than scallions in this bizarro world of The Olympic Grocery Delivery Games we are all currently competing in.
STEP BY STEP PICTURES:
Scallion Pancake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups AP flour
- up to 1 cup of boiling water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon pureed ginger (I like People’s Organic or Gourmet Garden)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups thinly sliced scallions, you’ll need about 6 or 7 scallions
- ¼ cup (more or less) sesame oil
- kosher salt, as needed
- Trader Joe’s Umami seasoning (this is totally optional, just adds more flavor)
- AP flour for dusting
- ½ cup (more or less) vegetable oil for frying (canola, avocado, grapeseed will all work)
Instructions:
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Place 2 cups of flour in a food processor and start it running. While it’s on, slowly drizzle the boiling water into the machine until the dough comes together in a big ball. This happens for me around ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons. Stop adding water once the ball starts knocking around in your bowl and remove it.
- Toss some flour onto a work surface and knead the dough a few times until it forms into a smooth ball. Place in a medium bowl, cover with saran and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Set aside until ready to use.
- Cut dough into 4 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Toss flour onto your work surface and place one dough ball on top. Sprinkle with more flour. Working one ball at a time, roll out into a disk roughly 8-inches in diameter. Season with kosher salt. Flip over, season the other side with salt and roll out again. This would be the time to season both sides with Umami seasoning, if using. Drizzle one side with sesame oil. Scatter ½ cup of the chopped scallions evenly over the top and, starting at the bottom, roll up like a jelly roll. Then, twist the roll into a tight spiral, tucking the end underneath. Dust lightly again with flour, flatten gently with your hand and re-roll again into an 8-inch disk. Set aside and repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough.
- Heat ½ cup oil in a nonstick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully slip the pancake into the hot oil and shake the pan gently to coat the bottom. Fry pancake until the underside is an even golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip with tongs, being careful not to splash any oil, and continue to fry until the second side is an even golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Repeat the process with the remaining 3 pancakes. Cut in half and then each half into thirds, for 6 wedges total.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce.