Chinese Scallion Pancakes

I love dim sum, and scallion pancakes are one of my favorite dim sum dishes. I always feel like I can just endlessly keep eating the flaky, crisp pancakes packed with flavorful green onions and often accompanied by an equally delightful dipping sauce. Unfortunately, the dim sum restaurant I regularly frequent does not have these little delights among the small dishes piled on their carts. But these pancakes are really quite easy to make and also freeze well, meaning that the next time a craving sets in or a guest stops by unexpectedly, I’ll be ready.

Scallion Pancakes (adapted from Use Real Butter)
Yield: 5 – 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup warm water + more as needed
• the green parts of 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
• vegetable oil
• kosher salt

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour with 1/4 cup warm water, and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding more warm water one teaspoon at a time, mixing thoroughly, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be firm and barely sticky to the touch.
2. Knead the dough about twenty strokes, then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough until 5 or 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
4. Place a ball of dough on a well-floured work surface and roll out into a thin circle, approximately 1/16th inch thick.
5. Brush a thin coating of vegetable oil over the pancake. Sprinkle kosher salt and about 1 – 2 Tbsp of the green parts of 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped evenly over the pancake.
6. Roll the pancake up from one end like a rug, then curl the roll around in a spiral and pinch the end to the roll so it stays wrapped.*
7. With the palm of your hand, press the roll from the top to flatten it. Roll the pancake out to 1/8th inch thickness (some scallions may break through the pancake, but that’s okay).
8. Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes. If you are not planning on cooking the pancakes right away, stack them between wax or parchment paper and store in a gallon bag in the freezer until ready to cook. The frozen pancakes do not need to be defrosted before being cooked.
9. To cook the pancakes, coat a pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Cook each pancake in the oil, frying each side until golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Serve warm with a dipping sauce.**

*This is difficult to explain without pictures, so here are step by step photos of the actual assembly.

Place a ball of dough on a well-floured surface.		Roll out into a thin circle, approximately 1/16th inch thick.
Brush the pancake with vegetable oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and scallions.		Roll the pancake up from one end like a rug.
Curl the roll around in a spiral.		Roll the pancake out to 1/8th inch thickness.

**For an easy dipping sauce, simply add 2 parts soy sauce, 1 part rice vinegar, 1 part brown sugar, and a dash of sesame oil to any leftover chopped scallions and mix well, adjusting ingredient proportions to taste.