Bernard’s chinese take away – Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Now that Gloss is taking up the social media mantle we thought it might be a good idea if we talked about something that wasn’t just about work! For those of you who don’t already know Bernard Smirke (Gloss Director) – he was born and raised in Hong Kong and just happens to be an exceptionally good cook specialising in Cantonese food.



Bernard Smirke

Seeing as its Pancake day tomorrow we thought we would put one of Bernard’s recipe’s up for those fancying a pancake alternative:

 

Chinese Spring Onion Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (cake flour also works, but lacks elasticity);
• 1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water + 1 teaspoon sugar to activate yeast;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• 1 cup finely chopped spring onions;
• 1 teaspoon salt;

Preparation:

1. Sift flour into 2 equal portions into separate bowls. In the first bowl, slowly add the yeast-water, mixing with a spatula, until a dough forms.
2. In the second bowl, sprinkle the salt into the flour. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the boiling hot water while vigorously stirring (this “cooks” the dough). Add more water and keep stirring until a rough dough forms. (If you accidentally add too much water and the dough is too soft, add a little more flour.) Mix in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Roll them both out on a lightly floured surface and knead them together. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. On the same floured surface, roll out the risen dough. Form into a 1-inch thick log, and slice into Ping Pong-ball sized segments. With a rolling pin, roll each segment out to 4″ or 5″ circles.
4. Lightly brush the top of each circle with vegetable oil. Sprinkle over with chopped spring onions.
5. Roll up the circle, semi-tightly, making sure the spring onions stay in place.
6. Now, roll it again lengthwise until it forms a coiled ball.
7. Turn the spiral side face-up and flatten again into a circle with the rolling pin. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining dough until you have a stack of spring onion studded round patties. (Whatever you don’t cook immediately can be frozen for future use.)
8. Heat a flat-bottom skillet on medium high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Working in batches, pan-fry the pancakes until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Scallion Pancakes

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