Week 26 and baby is coming along nicely. 14 inches and 2 pounds already! Apparently he is as long as a bunch of scallions. So what else should I do but make yummy out of this world scallion pancakes! I remember as a kind ordering these with our Chinese take out order. They are fried and have a crispy, salty exterior and then you dip them into a spicy vinegar soy sauce.The scallions mellowly give it a punch of onion flavor. They mildly remind me of onion rings but with an Asian style dipping sauce. Oh, darn. I just HAD to make them as well, Jane has a baby the size of a bunch of these. I’m not crying about it, I’m loving it!
Ingredients
Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cool water, plus more as needed
Vegetable oil, for coating the dough ball
Roux and Frying:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1 1/2 medium bunches scallions (about 12)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, plus more as needed
Dipping Sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar or rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Make the Dough:
Place 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. While stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or chopsticks, pour 3/4 cup boiling water over the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Continue stirring until combined.Add 2 tablespoons of cool water onto the dry pockets of flour and knead the dough with your hands until a shaggy dough forms and the sides of the bowl are clean, 2 to 3 minutes. Knead in more cool water a teaspoon at a time as needed if it’s too dry.
Transfer the dough onto a work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth, about 4 minutes. Drizzle a little vegetable oil onto your hands and use it to coat the dough ball. Return the dough to the same bowl it was kneaded in. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and let rest at room temperature for at least 1 and up to 2 hours, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Make the roux and cut the scallions when the dough is almost ready.
Make the Roux:
Place 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder if using, and 1/4 teaspoon MSG if using, in a small heatproof bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
Heat 1/4 cup melted lard, vegetable oil, or peanut oil in a small skillet over medium heat until 400ºF or a tiny bit of flour sprinkled in sizzles immediately. Pour the oil over the flour mixture and stir to combine until all the flour is hydrated and a paste is formed. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. If the roux solidifies, reheat in the skillet over medium heat until loose, or microwave in 15-second intervals until melted into a liquid paste
Prepare the scallions:
Trim and halve 1 1/2 medium bunches of scallions lengthwise, then finely chop until you have 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups.
Assemble the scallion pancakes:
Place 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil in a small bowl.
Divide the dough into 4 portions (about 130 grams each) and form each portion into a smooth ball. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap), place in the bowl of oil and flip to coat until covered with a thin layer of oil. Place on a work surface (do not flour) and roll out into a rough, very thin rectangle (about 11×12-inches) with a longer side closer to you. If the dough is cold and hard to roll out, let sit for a few minutes before trying again.
Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the roux evenly over the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle evenly with a quarter of the scallions (about 1/3 cup). Starting at the long side closest to you, roll tightly up into a thick rope and firmly press down to seal the seam. Position seam-side up, then roll the rope into a coil, tucking the tail end underneath the coil. Firmly press down to flatten until about 3/4-inch thick and 3 1/2 inches wide.
Repeat with the remaining dough balls, reserving the remaining oil in the bowl. Place on a plate or small baking sheet in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Make the dipping sauce:
Place 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili oil if using, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Fry the scallion pancakes:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees
Heat a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, at least 3 minutes. Meanwhile, dip your hands in the reserved oil and coat each dough patty with a thin layer of oil. Roll out one of the patties on a work surface (do not flour) until 8-inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick.
Add 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil to the heated skillet and heat until shimmering. Add the pancake, cover, and fry until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancake and fry uncovered until the second side is golden brown and crisp (drizzle a little more oil around the edges if the pan is dry), 2 to 3 minutes more. Meanwhile, roll out the next pancake.
Position 2 flat spatulas (or a spatula and chopsticks) vertically on opposite sides of the pancake in the skillet. Push the spatulas inward towards each other; this pushes the pancake up slightly to separate the flaky layers (it’s okay if it breaks apart a bit). Repeat pushing up the pancake in a few spots. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200ºF oven while you fry the remaining pancakes.
Repeat cooking the remaining pancakes, using 2 tablespoons of neutral oil for each pancake. Pat any excess oil on the pancakes with a paper towel if desired.
Cut into wedges and serve with the dipping sauce.
