He Cooks, She Cooks

Maybe you’ve had scallion pancakes at a good dim sum place, but if you have never tried them, you’re missing out. The last time I had them was nearly two years ago at a place in Sydney’s Haymarket area. I forgot how good they were until I made them at home the other day.

The pancakes are not really pancakes at all. They’re made from unlevened dough, more like Indian parathas than American pancakes or even French crepes.

I found a recipe from Food Network, then deciphered the directions by looking to Poor Man’s Feast. The process isn’t difficult at all, but the wording was confusing in the original recipe.

The result is doughy and layered. I served them for lunch with a ginger-soy dipping sauce and a leftover duck and noodle soup. My sister said they tasted like potstickers, which was good in her book.

Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Recipe adapted from Ming Tsai and the Food Network

Makes 4 large scallion pancakes. Requires a total of about 15 minutes active time and 30 minutes of waiting.

• 2 cups flour (plus more for rolling the dough)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• salt
• sesame oil
• canola oil

Put flour in a bowl (or food processor) and slowly add boiling water while you mix. Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 pieces.

On a floured surface, roll the pieces thinly into rough rectangle shapes. Sprinkle with green onions and salt. Roll the whole thing up like a rug. Then coil the dough into a tight spiral.

Use a rolling pin to roll the spirals flat into circles about 5 or 6 inches in diameter.

In a ramekin or small bowl, mix a glug of canola oil with some sesame oil. Then paint each side of the pancakes with the oil mixture.

In a hot skillet, cook pancakes on each side one at a time until golden brown.

Serve with plum sauce or ginger-soy dipping sauce (below). Eat as a snack or as part of a meal.

Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce

• soy sauce
• rice vinegar
• chopped green onions
• fresh grated ginger
• sugar
• red chili flakes

In a ramekin or small bowl, pour in soy sauce and vinegar, about 50-50, if not more soy. Add one or two green onions and some grated ginger, about a teaspoon. Add a little sugar to take away some of the harshness of the vinegar, but don’t make too sweet, about half a teaspoon or a little more. Sprinkle in red chili flakes depending how spicy you want it.