Chinese Scallion Cakes I Recipes

CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES

Steps:

• Mix flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; pour in boiling water and quickly mix together until water is absorbed. Work cold water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture just until dough forms. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let dough rest for 40 minutes.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface; divide into 4 equal pieces.
• Roll 1 piece of dough into a large thin round; brush the top with vegetable oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 the green onions. Pick up 1 end of the round and roll dough around green onions into a long scroll-shape. Take 1 scroll end and roll dough into a disk. Repeat with remaining dough, letting each disk rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Place 1 disk on a floured surface and roll into a 1/2-inch thick round; cook in the hot oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining disks.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES

Steps:

• Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Add 1 cup flour; stir dough with a spatula.
• Mix the remaining 1 cup flour, hot water, 2 tablespoons oil, and salt together in a separate bowl until dough-like in texture. Add the dough from step 1; knead together into a round ball, dusting with flour as needed. Place dough ball on a lightly floured work surface; cover with a warm, damp towel for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Pinch dough ball into 2 pieces. Roll each out and sprinkle half the scallions on top. Roll up each piece into a tube; pinch each in half. Roll and flatten into large pancakes, dusting with flour, if needed.
• Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook pancakes until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES

Steps:

• Place flour in a large bowl; stir in boiling water until dough forms a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 4-6 minutes. Place in a large bowl; cover and let rest for 30 minutes., Divide dough into 8 portions; roll each portion into an 8-in. circle. Brush with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon of green onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Roll into a thin cylinder (jelly-roll style); starting at one end, twist cylinder onto itself forming a coil, pinching to seal. Flatten slightly. Roll each coil to 1/8-in. thickness., In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Over medium-high heat, cook 1 pancake at a time until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Serve with pancakes.

SCALLION CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir in 2/3 cup boiling water, mixing flour and water just until flour absorbs all the water. Gradually stir in enough cold water (1/4 to 1/3 cup) so that a dough is formed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should not be sticky.
• Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a lightly dusted board with floured hands 3 to 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Lightly cover with a dampened cloth and allow to rest for 1 hour.
• Redust the surface and hands with flour, and knead again for a few minutes or until smooth. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. As you work, always cover any unused dough with a lightly damp cloth. Using a floured rolling pin, roll each section into a 7-inch round. Lightly brush each round with sesame oil. Evenly sprinkle 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and scallions on each round, and then tightly roll each round into a fat rope. Tightly coil each rope, pinching the end of the rope into the dough to seal. Cover with a lightly damp cloth and allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes. Redust surface with flour, and using a floured rolling pin, roll each coiled bun into 7-inch rounds.
• In a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Carefully add one scallion round and fry 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Carefully turn cake over and fry 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until golden brown. As the cake fries, lightly press the center with a metal spatula to make sure center is cooked. Transfer each cake to a plate lined with several thicknesses of paper towels. Continue frying the remaining scallion rounds one at a time. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set oil aside to cool before discarding. Cut cakes into 6 to 8 wedges and serve immediately.

CHUNG YUL BANG (SCALLION PANCAKES)

Steps:

• In a medium heatproof bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Pour in the boiling water, quickly mixing everything together with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs all the water. It will look a bit dry and flaky. Stir in the cold water. A dough should form and begin to pull away from the side of the bowl. If needed, add more cold water a teaspoon at a time. The dough should not be sticky, but dry to the touch.
• Dust a work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Lightly cover the dough with a clean damp cloth or plastic bag and let it rest for 1 hour.
• Redust the work surface with flour and knead the rested dough for a few minutes, or until it is smooth. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls. Cover three of them with the damp cloth or plastic, then use a floured rolling pin to roll the fourth into a 7-inch round. Cover the round with the damp cloth or plastic, then roll out the remaining three pieces, keeping any unused dough well covered while you work.
• Brush each round very lightly with the sesame oil and sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a quarter of the minced scallions. Tightly roll each circle into a fat rope, then tightly coil each rope so that it looks like a snail's shell, pinching the end of the rope into the bun so that it seals. Cover the rounds with the damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Redust your work surface with flour and roll each cake out with a floured rolling pin into a 7-inch round. Set aside to fry when the oil is ready. Or, refrigerate in an airtight container dusted with flour for up to 1 day. Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before frying. You can also stack the rolled dough between parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic, seal in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze for a few weeks. Unwrap and let them come to room temperature, about 15 minutes, before you fry them.
• Line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels. Heat the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over medium until it is hot but not smoking. Working carefully, as the oil will spatter, add a scallion cake to the bottom of the pan using a metal spatula or tongs, and let it fry until golden brown on the bottom, just a minute or two. Carefully flip the cake over and fry until the other side is golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. As it fries, adjust the heat to maintain a steady sizzle and lightly press the center of the cake with a metal spatula to make sure the center is cooked through, being careful of oil spatters. Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high and pan-fry a round of dough until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. When the cake is done, transfer it to the paper towels and fry the three remaining cakes, adding 1 tablespoon oil per cake if pan-frying.
• Sprinkle the scallion cakes with a little more salt, cut them into 6 to 8 wedges, and serve them immediately.

SCALLION CAKE

Steps:

• Put flour on a board; make a well in the center and add the water; mix into a soft, smooth dough and divide into 2 portions.
• Roll each portion very thin.
• Brush each with 1 tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
• Spread half the scallions evenly on each sheet.
• Roll each portion up like a jelly roll; coil it up so it's lying flat on the board in a spiral.
• Flatten with a rolling pin until it is 7-inches in diameter.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saute pan; add the cakes, one at a time, and fry 2 minutes on each side.
• Cut each cake into 8 wedges (I use a pizza cutter) and serve.

CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKE BEEF ROLLS

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in a large bowl; stir in boiling water until dough forms a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 4-6 minutes. Place in a large bowl; cover and let rest for 30 minutes., Divide dough into 8 portions; roll each portion into an 8-in. circle. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon green onion. Roll up jelly-roll style; holding 1 end of the rope, wrap dough around, forming a coil, pinching to seal. Flatten slightly. Roll each coil to 1/8-in. thickness., In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Cook pancakes, 1 at a time, over medium-high heat until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side, adding more oil as needed; keep warm. , In the same skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; cook and stir until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes longer. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of each pancake. If desired, sprinkle with sliced green onions. Roll up tightly and serve.