Scallion pancakes have been a favorite snack of mine since childhood. I love the flaky dough layered with salty green-onions and the perfect combination of a crispy shell with a slightly chewy center. You can find them ready-made in the frozen aisle at your local Asian grocery store but I prefer to make my own. I usually make a big batch, fry some fresh for immediate consumption, and freeze the rest for a quick snack later.
Sarah and I have enjoyed cooking together the past two years and have taught each other the Chinese/Taiwanese and Korean versions of some common dishes, like scallion pancakes/pajeon, dumplings/mandu, and zhajiangmian/jajangmyeon, just to name a few. We thought this might be a fun series but we'd love to hear from readers if you'd like us to share more recipes like this with you. Either way, keep an eye out for her pajeon recipe in the near future!
Scallion Pancakes
(makes 4 pancakes)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water
Vegetable oil
Salt
3 green onions/scallions finely chopped
Directions
Mix together the flour and hot water. Knead until a dough forms. Divide into 4 equal parts. Clean a flat surface and generously flour.
Roll one part of the dough into a flat disc ~ 1/4 inch thick. Spread a thin layer of vegetable oil and salt (~1/2 tsp of each) on one side. Sprinkle on the chopped scallions. Starting at one end, roll the dough into a log, taking care not to lose any of the scallions. Twist the log into a circle (should look like a snail shell) and press flat with your palm. Gently flatten with a rolling pin, making quarter turns to keep the pancake circular.
Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Pan-fry the pancake until golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway. Soak up any excess oil with a paper towel and cut into wedges. Eat plain or dip in a mixture of soy, vinegar, and sesame oil (I also like to add some hot chili sauce).
Yumm!
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