This recipe happened because I ended up with way too many spring onions (scallions) that were threatening to die on me and I needed to put them to good use. Quick research revealed that the simplest thing to do is to make some scallion pancakes.
As I love working with dough – I grew up seeing my gran create some beautiful dishes with just flour and hot water – and I love Asian flavours, I was all over this idea. These addictive scallion pancakes ended up being the snack of the week in our house and both of us ended up consuming insane amount of my test runs and it showed on the scales too. Despite their humble ingredients, these little pancakes are mightily addictive, so, on the day you attempt these, make sure there are people around willing to help you out a bit 😉 . Now, these pancakes aren’t the type of dish where you can be stingy with the oil without compromising on flavour. I found that you need a minimum of 2 tsp of oil per pancake to fry, plus another teaspoon to brush the dough with. Don’t go crazy, but if you don’t get on with oil, don’t waste your time making these as chances are that you will be really underwhelmed. They are flaky and crispy on the outside and deliciously chewy on the inside. Spring onions add a bit of umami and sweetness and I really liked the addition of Chinese five spice, it feels like it 100% belongs in this dish. They are particularly delicious warm, dipped in a soy sauce, rice vinegar and chilli (or toasted sesame) oil dipping sauce.
2 tbsp soy sauce 1½ tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp maple syrup or sugar 1 tsp toasted sesame oil or chilli oil white sesame seeds, for decoration (optional)
