Green Onion Pancakes

By Bee Yinn Low, Easy Chinese Recipes

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

My first experience with Green Onion Pancakes was when I visited Shanghai for the first time.  One morning, I was feeling jetlagged so I headed down to the hotel’s lobby for an early morning breakfast.  The breakfast set menu was traditional Chinese fare: freshly made soybean milk, you tiao (fried cruller), tea leaf egg and Green Onion Pancake.

As soon as my order arrived, I got a whiff of the green onions.  The Green Onion Pancakes were crispy yet doughy in the middle, each bite was mildly salty and then the oniony fragrance surfaced.  I enjoyed the pancakes thoroughly, especially with a glass of warm soybean milk, on that sleep-deprived morning.

The best Green Onion Pancakes are made with lard, so feel free to use lard (instead of oil) if you like.

Makes 8 pieces or serves 4 as an appetizer

1½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup (125 ml) water
3 green onions (scallions), green parts only, trimmed and cut into small rounds, to yield about 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons oil
Some additional all-purpose flour, for dusting and rolling
Oil, for frying

1. Sift the all-purpose flour into a big bowl and then add the salt into the flour. Combine well and set aside.

2. Bring the water to a boil. Slowly add the water to the flour and knead the dough until it’s no longer sticky and the surface becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water to the dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Add the green onion into the dough and combine well.

4. Make the Green Onion Pancake by following the directions below.

5. Add about 1/ 4 inch (6 mm) of oil into a stir-fry pan or skillet over moderately high heat. Transfer a piece of the pancake into the pan or skillet. Shallow fry each side of the pancake to a light golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip the pancake over and shallow fry the other side. Add more oil, repeat the same for the remaining pancakes and serve immediately.

HOW TO MAKE THE GREEN ONION PANCAKES

1. On a flat and floured surface, divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball using your palm.

2. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the dough to a thin disc using a rolling pin. Dust the rolling pin with some all-purpose flour as you go.

3. Brush the surface of the disc with the oil.

4. Roll the dough into a cylinder.

5. Coil it up like a snail.

6. Dust the rolling pin with the flour and roll the dough until flat, measuring about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Set the dough aside on a baking sheet. Repeat Step 2–6 for the rest of the dough.

Fresh salmon salad rolls

By Periplus Editors, Quick & Easy Asian Tapas and Noodles


Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

Inspiration for these gorgeously delicate rolls comes from Yu Sheng, a raw fish salad eaten by Singaporeans during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Light, fresh and nutty flavors come prettily bundled in rice paper wrappers, with little dabs of tasty tobiko fish roe lending an elegant finishing touch.

Makes 24 rolls
Preparation time: 25 minutes

6 dried rice paper wrappers (see note)
10 oz (300 g) fresh salmon fillets
Wasabi tobiko or salmon roe (see note), to garnish
Green onions (scallions), to garnish

Filling
1/2 cup (50 g) finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup (75 g) finely shredded daikon
2 tablespoons minced coriander leaves (cilantro)
3 tablespoons sweet plum sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons crushed unsalted roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, dry-roasted in a skillet until brown
3 teaspoons lime juice

Make the Filling by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix well. Set aside.

Quarter each dried rice paper wrapper and trim the sides to form 4 squares. Briefly soak the squares in water to soften, then pat dry with paper towels.

Cut the salmon fillets into 24 very thin slices. Place a slice of salmon and 1 tablespoon of the Filling onto each rice paper square and roll up tightly into a bite-sized piece. Garnish with tobiko or salmon roe and green onions, and serve chilled.

Note: Dried rice paper wrappers are sold in Asian food stores in plastic packets containing 10 or more wrappers. They are round and white, about 10 in (25 cm) in diameter. Pale green wasabi tobiko roe is tobiko roe that has been flavored with wasabi. Fresh wasabi tobiko roe can be purchased in packets in Japanese supermarkets.

Steamed scallops with black bean dressing

By Periplus Editors, Quick & Easy Asian Tapas and Noodles

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

Fresh scallops are a delicate treat and require quick cooking and unfussy embellishments in order to shine. A hint of salty black beans, some sweetish rice wine, a few Asian aromatics and a brief steaming give spectacularly flavorsome results.

Makes 12 scallops or serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes

12 fresh scallops in their shells
2 green onions (scallions), green part thinly sliced lengthwise and soaked in cold water, to garnish

Black Bean Dressing
2 green onions (scallions), white part minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh young ginger root
1 to 11/2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce (see note)
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
11/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil

Shuck each scallop and discard the top shell. Rinse under running water to remove sand and dirt. Carefully remove the muscle and organ, leaving only the white flesh. Cut the stem to separate the white flesh from the shell with a paring knife. Stand the white flesh vertically on its shell to drain excess water. Shuck all the scallops in this manner.
Make the Black Bean Dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the Black Bean Dressing over each scallop and steam the scallops in their shells in bamboo steaming baskets for 4 minutes, making sure not to crowd or tilt the scallops inside the baskets (for best results, use stacked basket and steam the scallops individually). Serve hot, garnished with green onions.

Note: The black bean garlic sauce normally used in this dish has large chunks of fermented black soybeans and is sold in small jars in Asian food markets. Whole fermented black beans may also be used with a bit of minced garlic and soy sauce added.

Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Cups

By Jaden Hair, Steamy Kitchen

This pretty dish is very flexible.  Chicken can be substituted for the shrimp and a variety of fruit can be used instead of the mango and papaya.  Try pineapple, peaches or even blueberries.

Makes 4 Servings

Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned cucumbers
1 head iceberg, butterhead or Boston bibb lettuce, leaves separated into “cups”
Sriracha hot sauce (or any hot chili sauce)
Tropical Fruit Salsa (recipe below)

Marinate shrimp in soy, orange zest, coriander, chili powder and sesame oil for 15 minutes. Skewer the shrimp on bamboo skewers. Grill shrimp on medium-high, direct heat about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve with Fruit Salsa (see below), carrots, cucumber, lettuce cups and hot sauce.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced papaya
1/2 cup diced kiwi
Pinch of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients and set aside until ready to use.