scallion pancakes

We love scallion pancakes around here. In fact, even my 5 and 8 year-old boys will eat them (despite the green speckles). They aren't difficult to make but sometimes it is difficult to visualize the process so I thought I'd throw a few pictures in from when I made them this week. The salt on top combined with the taste of the sesame oil is a truly addictive combination.

1. Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of really hot tap water in a bowl and mix until a shaggy ball is formed. Rub a little toasted sesame oil on your hands and knead the dough a couple of times and then form 8 equal sized balls. Lightly coat each ball with sesame oil (to prevent them from drying out) and set out on counter for at least 30 minutes to let the dough relax.

2. Thinly slice, then roughly chop 3-4 scallions and set to the side. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of canola or peanut oil on medium- medium high heat in a wok or deep sided saute pan while you begin to form the pancakes.

3. After the dough has rested, lightly coat your hands and the work surface in sesame oil so it won't stick. Take one ball and pat it out into a flat circle about 6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a few green onions across the surface of the dough.


4. Now roll up the "pancake" like a cigar.


5. Next you roll the cigar up like a snail shell.

6. Now press the rolled up dough flat like a pancake again- about 6 inches across. The scallions may poke through the dough a little and that's okay. Just try to be gentle so there aren't lots of holes.


7. Meanwhile the oil should have been warming up. You know it is ready when you stick the tip of a wooden chopstick in and it immediately is covered by little bubbles at the tip. Lift the pancake off the counter and gently set in the hot oil. It will shrink a little when it hits the oil. While the pancake is cooking get started on the next one. The cooking pancake will probably be ready to flip after you get the next one to "snail" stage. I use chopsticks to flip the pancakes but you can use tongs. The bottom should be golden and look mostly cooked through. The second side will take almost as long to cook. Finish getting the next pancake ready so that when you remove the first, you are ready to go. It's an assembly line. :)

8. When you take the pancake out of the oil, put it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with coarse salt and let cool as long as you can stand it. Cut each disk into quarters (kitchen shears work great for this). Enjoy! We even eat these cold at our house if they actually make it that long.