Green Onion Pancakes for One

This quick bread is one of my favorites in a Chinese restaurant. I love that it’s savory and you can put all kinds of dipping sauces on it, but also that it’s quick, oniony, and delicious!

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup very hot water (bring to a boil, pour into a measuring cup, and cool for a few minutes)

2 teaspoons canola oil plus more for frying

Slosh of sesame oil

Pinch of kosher salt

2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Combine the flour and water, kneading until the dough is formed. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
2. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and soft, and a little spongy, perhaps 5 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp cloth for 30 minutes. (You can use the time to make a dipping sauce.)
4. Meanwhile, combine the canola and sesame oils in a small bowl.
5. When the dough has finished its little nap, cut it into two pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
6. Roll one ball into a flat rectangle with a rolling pin. You’ll want to flour the board fairly heavily, as this is a pretty sticky dough.
7. Brush the dough slightly with the combined oils, sprinkle generously with salt and about a TBLSP of the green onions.
8. Roll the dough up over the onions like a cigar or rug. Then take the cigar and curl it into a spiral, like a snail’s shell/ Press the spiral down with your palm a little bit.
9. With a rolling pin, flatten the spiral into a disk that’s about 1/8^th inch thick.
10. Repeat steps 6-9 with the other ball of dough, the oil, salt, and green onions.
11. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with canola oil. Fry the pancakes one at a time for 3-4 minutes on each side.
12. Place the pancakes on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any unnecessary oil. Cut each pancake into six pieces and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

You can see in the photo that I’ve gone with plum sauce. You can find the recipe here too.

Variations:

• As dipping sauces go, my favorite is equal parts of miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
• Mustard makes a pretty good sauce all by itself. So does faux cream cheese.