Green Onion Cakes

Cakes is not the right descriptor. When I think cake, I think sweet, dense, dessert. Pancake doesn't work either. This isn't soft and spongy and flavorless. Bread makes you think thick and soft. No, these are savory panfried circles of goodness. My mom makes a quick version of these with tortillas. These are more time consuming, but oh, they're so good! Especially when they're just off the pan, and you pull off hot flaky pieces and try not to burn your fingers. Who knew the simple flavors of salt and green onion and sesame oil could unite to create such happiness on your tongue? Be careful though... it's really hard to stop eating these.

This dipping sauce is good, and it would taste great on potstickers and dumplings as well. The green onion cakes are just fine without the sauce as well.


From Martin Yan's Feast: The Best of Yan Can Cook
I've been on the lookout for a good uncomplicated Chinese cookbook, with the fresh flavors I like as a Californian. I bought this book used off Amazon after trying this recipe, and I haven't had a single dud from the other recipes I've tried.

Green Onion Cakes

Makes 12

These unleavened fried breads are thin and flat, crisp outside, moist and chewy inside, and bursting with onion flavor. I like to serve them the traditional way, as street vendors in Beijing do: sliced into wedges and eaten out of hand, plain or with a spicy chili-garlic dipping sauce.

3-1/3 cups flour
1-1/4 cups boiling water

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauc
2 teaspoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili sauce

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
or cooking oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Cooking oil

Getting Ready

Place flour in a bowl. Add boiling water, stirring with chopsticks or a fork until dough is evenly moistened. On a lightly floured board, knead dough until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl.

On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a cylinder; cut into 12 equal portions.

Make each cake:
Roll a portion of dough into an 8-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining dough covered to prevent drying. Brush with a thin film of shortening. Sprinkle with a small portion of sesame oil, green onions, salt, and pepper. Roll dough into a cylinder and coil dough into a round patty; tuck end of dough underneath. Roll again to make an 8-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.

Cooking

Place a wide frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil, swirling to coat sides. Add 1 cake and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding more cooking oil as needed.

Cut cakes into wedges. Serve hot with dipping sauce.