This week, I had many extra scallions from my garden and from the scallions that I had been re-growing on my kitchen counter. I had already harvested 3/4 of the ones from the garden and used them in my pesto the week before, but they keep growing, and I keep harvesting. With all the extra scallions, of course, it was time to make scallion pancakes!
I wanted to do it yesterday, but I had spent the day making Char Siu Bao, and it was so hot, I couldn't even think about kneading another dough.
Today's weather is cooler, dreary and raining, making it the perfect day to make Scallion Pancakes. I need a smile on my face today, and these savoury pancakes are the solution!
Never had a Scallion Pancake? You're definitely missing out. And you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry!
Scallion Pancakes have layers that are flaky, chewy and crunchy. Pair the pancake with a soy, garlic chili dipping sauce, and you're in heaven. It's the perfect lunch. And it's vegan!
This recipe makes ten pancakes. I like to make five and then freeze each additional pancake between sheets of parchment in a zip lock bag. That way, when I want to have one for lunch, I can cook them from its frozen state.
Let me know if you make them! Enjoy.
Ingredients
6 bunches of scallions (green onions) chopped finely
5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1.5 cups of hot water (from a recently boiled kettle)
2 tablespoons of oil + extra for coating the pancakes.
Roux
¾ cups of melted vegetable shortening
1 cup of flour
Instructions
In a large bowl combine your flour, sugar, and salt. With a large spoon, chopsticks or dough whisk, continuously stir the dry mixture while adding your hot water and your 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir until combined.
Switching to your hands, gently knead until the dough is combined. When combined, remove the dough from the bowl and knead on your work surface for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step - it’s important to knead the dough, so it becomes soft and pliable! When the dough is combined, place the dough back into the bowl, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
Melt your shortening on low heat and add your ¾ cups of flour. Stir continuously until the roux becomes a slightly golden paste (not too thick, it should still be liquidly). Transfer the roux to a bowl and cool.
Clean and chop your green onions. I like to use the white and green parts of the scallions.
When your dough is done resting, place it onto a floured work surface and shape into a log. Using your bench scraper or a knife, cut the log into 10 equal pieces, or larger if you want to make larger pancakes.
Taking one piece of dough, covering the rest with a cloth, roll until thin as possible. Brush on your roux, and sprinkle generously with the scallions. Roll the dough into a tight log, then take one end of your log, and roll into a pinwheel shape. Place onto a tray/plate or cutting board and coat the pinwheel with oil. Repeat.
Let each pinwheel rest for at least 15 minutes before rolling again. Starting with your first pinwheel that you made, roll the pinwheel into a thin circle. The thinner the better.
Add a generous amount of oil to a cold pan, and add your pancake before the oil gets too hot. The oil should be warm, not screaming hot - we are not deep frying.
Cook on medium heat, until the pancake is golden brown on one side, then flip. Don’t let the pan get too hot because it will burn the scallions - adjust your heat as you go. After you flip your pancake, using two spatulas, push in the edges of your pancake to fluff it up, exposing the layers of your pancake. When browned on each side, transfer to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towel, to cool slightly. Repeat until done!
Serve with dipping sauce of your choice and enjoy!
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