Scallion Pancake: Lockdown Chinese

Real Chinese food offers so much more than your average American Chinese restaurant. I'm glad to see that in the US authentic Chinese food becomes more available. We started frequenting one of the local dumpling places that serve dim sum and other less common bites. With the COVID lockdown, however, replicating those amazing flavors at home is the only option to enjoy them. My kids are big fans of the scallion pancakes. Which means, of course, that the whole meal was built around them. Those are more of the fried flatbreads than traditional Western pancakes made of batter. Dumplings, steamed shrimps and rabe were complimenting this simple appetizer. The recipe was adapted from the Dim Sum cookbook, a very well written introduction to authentic homemade Chinese lunch. 

For the dough, mix 1 1/2  cup of all-purpose flour with 1/2  cup of boiling water and 2 tbsp of cold water. Mix a pretty easy, pliable dough and knead for 5 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 min.

Slice thinly 3 scallions, white and green parts. Cut the dough into 6 even pieces, flatten with your hands to 5" circle, sprinkle with salt and scallions. Fold inwards into 3 even pieces, roll from one short end to another enclosing folded edges inside. You'll get a roll. Put the roll on its flat side. Press the flat side down and flatten with the rolling pin to 5" circle ( I know, it's too many rolls and flats but my thesaurus doesn't work today).

You get a version of the layered dough flatbread.  Fry the pancakes in 1 tbs of oil (I used avocado) on medium for 2-3 min on each side. Make sure you don't burn it.  Serve with the dipping sauce that is 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of water, 1/2 tbsp of vinegar,  1/2 tbsp of chili oil, and 1/2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil. 

Steamed for a few minutes broccoli, rabe, spinach, or other Asian greens and shrimps will make an excellent light addition to the fried dough.  Toss them in 2 tbsp of soy sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp of finely chopped ginger and a clove of chopped garlic, 1 tsp of vinegar, pepper flakes to taste. 

And steamed dumplings with potstickers require its own extensive post which I promise in the near future.