This is getting out of control. I wasn't planning to make this until I give the stomach a rest. However, I wanted to improve the techniques of making scallion "pancake" 蔥油餅. This one turned out incredibly good. It is transformative.
I didn't want to eat that much carbohydrate so I only made one serving using 1/2 cup (120 ml) of flour.
The ingredients are extremely simple:
- general purpose flour
- water
- scallion
- olive oil
- salt
- Chinese five spices
What made the huge difference is the addition of oil to the dough, and then folding the dough later to form layers. In recent year I had the most memorable scallion pancake. That was while walking in Guangzhau one morning and we came upon this couple selling scallion pancake in a dark staircase of a old neighborhood. It costed like two RMB. It was fluffy and tasted incredible. I had a few scallion pancake since mostly in Toronto, and ones that I made. Nothing came close until the one I made today - which was in fact better.
It is hard to comprehend that with less than a stalk of scallion something made of flour can be so delicious.
this shallow cast iron skillet is perfect for making scallion pancake 蔥油餅
It is important to cover the skillet with a lid initially, then finish it without the lid.
a perfectly made scallion pancake 蔥油餅
it is divine
the fluffy layers that taste very light but not greasy because of olive oil
It is hard to believe something made of so few simple ingredients can taste so good. Given the choice of a basket of xiao long bao 小籠包 or a serving of very good scallion pancake 蔥油餅 like this I would be hard pressed to choose the former.
this was the one that I made about 10 days ago - good, but not great
this was at Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豊 in Toronto - pitiful
You are on a roll!
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