Spring onion pancakes

Oily, flaky, chewy and incredibly more-ish, these spring onion pancakes will no doubt fly off the plate.

• makes

  10

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour, plus extra, to dust
• 185 ml (¾ cup) vegetable oil
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced, plus extra, to serve

Black vinegar dipping sauce

• 60 ml (¼ cup) Chinese black vinegar (chinkiang) (see Note)
• 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 long red chillies, sliced, plus extra, to serve

Resting time 1 hour

Instructions

Sift flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre and add 160 ml lukewarm water. Using your hands, draw in flour, working from the centre outwards, until dough just comes together. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead for 6 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Drizzle 60 ml vegetable oil into a clean bowl and add dough, turning to coat completely. Set aside to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to make dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar, and set aside.

Remove dough from oil and divide into 10 pieces. Roll out one piece on a lightly floured work surface to a 15 cm round. Brush with vegetable oil, scatter with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp spring onions. Roll up dough to enclose onion, then coil into a round disc, pressing down with your hands to seal. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out again to a 15 cm round. Place on a sheet of baking paper and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough, oil and spring onions to make 10 pancakes.

Heat half the remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Working in batches, cook pancakes, turning, for 2 minutes each side or until golden and flaky, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil, then cut into wedges and serve immediately with dipping sauce, extra spring onions and chilli. 

Note

• Chinese black vinegar (chinkiang) is available from Asian food shops.

Photography Chris Chen

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.