Scallion Pancakes
Growing up, this was our most-requested dish, especially around birthdays. There are many versions of scallion pancakes, and while it’s not the super crispy and flakey version you typically find at a Chinese restaurant, it’s still pure comfort food for me. Pro tip: these freeze well after frying and are easily reheated in a toaster.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Makes 8 pancakes
Ingredients:
4 cups (500 g) flour
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup cold water
1-2 cups minced scallions/green onions, rinsed and patted dry
2 tsp salt
8 tsp neutral oil for frying (1 per pancake)
soy sauce for serving
In a large bowl, combine the flour and boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon until the water is evenly incorporated, forming pea-sized chunks. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes. Add the cold water and knead on a lightly floured surface, about 5 minutes. You should see the dough transform from shaggy to smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 more minutes.
Add the minced scallions and salt to the dough and knead until evenly distributed. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a thin pancake*. You can do this while the oil heats up in the next step and in-between batches of frying. Irregularly shaped pancakes are totally normal and expected.
Heat a large flat-bottomed frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp of oil. Once it starts to shimmer, add a pancake, being careful not to splash any oil. It takes a bit of practice to know when to flip it, but it should hold its shape and form golden-brown spots. AND the fried scallion will smell delicious. Flip the pancake over until the other side cooks through, which should take less time than the first.
We often would cook these with multiple frying pans going at the same time, to speed up the process.
Once all the pancakes are finished, cut them into wedges and serve with soy sauce for dipping.
*If you’d like the flakier version, there’s a different technique to form the pancakes: brush the flattened pancake with a bit of oil and roll it up into a tight tube. Then, form the tube into a spiral, like a snail shell. Flatten it again and repeat the process a few more times. This creates thin layers of oil that puff up while cooking. It’s the same principle of lamination when making croissants with butter.