Scallion Cilantro Pancakes
Scallion pancakes are one of my favorite appetizers to order when we get Chinese food. The mix of textures- flaky, chewy, crispy- and mild flavor is just so satisfying! But every time I order it, I always wonder why I don't make them at home myself. Well... one month of staying at home, and an overabundance of scallions in my fridge led me to making them today. Since I made them from scratch, I also decided to add cilantro and sesame seeds to the filling. I know the directions seem complicated, but it's only because the technique is so different that I went with over-explaining. In actuality, it only took me about 30 minutes of active work once I figured out what I was doing- totally worth it!!
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup hot water
1.5 cups scallion greens, thinly sliced (only use the green part- the white part is hard and tears through the dough, so I suggest saving the white part for another recipe)
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil (for when you roll out and cook the pancakes)
Directions
Make the dough
1. Mix together the flour, salt, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil, and water together in a medium sized bowl until you get a shaggy dough. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate.
2. Then, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes until it becomes a smooth ball. Return the dough ball to the bowl and cover bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Make the filling
3. In a medium size bowl, stir the scallion greens, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds together.
Stuff the pancakes (see photos at the end of the post)
4. After the dough has rested for 1 hour, turn the dough ball onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces. Take one of these pieces and roll it out into a circle that's about 8 inches across. If it is sticking, you may need to lightly flour the surface or rolling pin. This step is very forgiving, so don't worry if you can't get it into a perfect circle, or if it's a little bigger or smaller than 8 inches. The main thing is to get it thin.
5. Spread about 1 tsp of sesame oil all over the top of the rolled out dough. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the filling on top of the oiled dough. Starting on the side closest to you, roll the dough tightly away from you (similar to how cinnamon buns are rolled up). At the end, you should have a rope about as thick as a finger.
6. Take one end of the rope and curl the rest of the rope around it to create a spiral (like a snail shell). When you reach the other end of the rope, tuck it under the spiral. This keeps the spiral from unraveling. Place the spiral on a lightly floured surface and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you repeat stuffing the remaining pieces of dough.
7. After you finish stuffing all 8 pieces of dough, let them sit covered for about 10 minutes.
Roll out the pancakes (see photos at the end of the post)
8. On a lightly floured surface, lightly press one of the dough spirals to flatten it. Then, gently roll it out into a circle that's about 6 inches across. If there are air pockets when you roll it out, don't try to knock the air out- they help make the pancake layered. Roll out the other 7 dough spirals.
Note: If you are not going to cook the pancakes immediately, then refrigerate them until ready to use. To do this, separate each pancake with a layer of plastic wrap. Then, wrap the whole stack in plastic wrap, or put it in an airtight container, so that they don't dry out sitting in the fridge.
Cook the pancakes
9. Heat 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, place one pancake on the skillet and gently move the skillet to help distribute the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Flip and cook each side again for 1-2 minutes each until you see golden brown spots on both sides.
Serve!
10. Cut into wedges and serve hot. I like them plain, but you can also serve it with your favorite dipping sauce or hot sauce.
