Scallion Pancakes

     Yesterday, I cooked delicious scallion pancakes. They were flaky and chewy and crisp. This will be my first post above a savory recipe. I apologize if some parts of this recipe are unclear, I made modifications.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water, plus more for mixing
• 1 bunch scallions
• About 1/2 cup sesame oil, plus more for frying.

     1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt, then form the mixture into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the water, first filling the well, then pouring what remains around the sides of the bowl. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to combine the ingredients into a soft, raggedy dough. If it doesn't pull together after about a minute of stirring, add water, one tablespoon at a time (up to 4), to help the dough take shape.

     2. Add about 2 teaspoons of oil to a surface, transfer the dough to it, and shape it into a ball. Working with oil-covered hands, knead the dough until it's smooth and springy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Shape it back into a ball and set it aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

     3. While the dough rests, chop the green part of the scallions into centimeter-length sections, then set them aside.

     4. Roll the dough into a log. Halve it crosswise, then cut each half into three pieces, then cut each piece in half. Place eleven of the portions in a large bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

     5. If surface and/or hand are no longer greasy, add enough oil to them to make them greasy. Roll the twelfth dough portion into a fairly round, 1/4-inch-thick pancake. Rub dough around your oily surface. Scatter 1 tablespoons of chopped scallion on top, leaving a 1-inch border.

     6. Roll the pancake into a log.

     7. Beginning at one end, wind the log into a spiral as if shaping a cinnamon roll, then tuck the loose end underneath. Use your palm to gently press the dough into a disk. Roll it into a pancake 3 to 4 inches in diameter, or pretty thin.

     8. Warm a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, then coat the pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Use a scallion slice to test the temperature of the oil. If it sizzles at once, the oil is ready for frying. If it doesn't, wait about 30 seconds and retest the oil with another scallion slice, repeating as necessary until the oil is hot.

     9. Carefully lay the pancake in the skillet and fry it until its edges puff up and the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancake. Every three pancakes or so, add more oil to pan. Continue frying until the second side is golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancake to a serving plate.

     10. Repeat Steps 5 through 8 for each remaining dough portion. Serve the pancakes hot or warm, cut into quarters or sixths, and if you like, with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce. Makes 12 pancakes.