Korean Pancake Face Off

As much as I love the traditional Chinese scallion pancakes, I have to admit, I love Korean pancakes (pa jeon or pajung or whatever) even more. I love how they're so moist on the inside but still super crispy on the outside. And even better, it's a great way to get rid of leftovers, which I really appreciate because some weeks I have a lot of leftover hot pot ingredients that I need to get rid of.

The only problem is, every time I ask a Korean how to make this from scratch, they just tell me that their moms make it from the mix. Seriously? I can't think of a single thing that my mom makes that uses a mix! Fortunately, I live close enough to several Korean grocery stores and can pick up the mix, which does deliver an almost no-fail pancake every time.

Looking at the list of ingredients, though (wheat flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, MSG), it just seems incredible that it can't be replicated from scratch. I've tried both David Lebovitz's and the New York Times versions, but they both couldn't compare to the mix. The last week I saw this post on thekitchn.com. Could it be that I finally found a recipe that could replicate or even supersede the mix?

It seemed likely. Not only did this recipe include rice flour, which I always assumed was used in pa jeon because of the light, moist texture, but it also used seltzer water to add airiness to the batter. So I decided to have a side-by-side comparison of the two pancakes. The ground rules:

1. I used the same filling for both: scallions, diced and sweated bok choy stems, sliced fish cake, marinated and sauteed beef, sliced and sauteed Chinese sausage.
2. I would use the same non-stick pan and the same amount of oil (exactly 2 tablespoons of canola) for each.
3. I would cook both the same way: 4 minutes on each side at medium heat.

Homemade Korean Pancake from Scratch (based on this recipe)
makes 1 big pancake

1.2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cups cold unflavored seltzer water
1/2 tablespoon canola oil, plus extra for the pan

In a large bowl, gently mix flours, eggs, seltzer, and oil until smooth. Let rest a few minutes and then stir in filling, tossing to coat.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. When pan is hot, add batter and spread out so it's no more than a half-inch thick. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Cook about 4 minutes, flipping when pancake no longer resists, then cook about 4 minutes on the other side. Pancake should be crispy and brown, with no liquid inside.

As you can see from the pictures, I had a hard time flipping the pancake over in one piece, but that's due to user error and not one of the criteria for this contest.

Korean Pancake Mix (from the back of the bag)
makes 1 big pancake

1 cup Korean pancake mix
3/4 cups water

In a large bowl, mix mix and water until there are no lumps. Add filling, mixing to coat.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. When pan is hot, add batter and spread out so it's no more than a half-inch thick. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Cook about 4 minutes, flipping when pancake no longer resists, then cook about 4 minutes on the other side.

The batter for the mix version was definitely a lot drier due to the fact that there was no egg or oil added, and you definitely had to "push" the batter around in the pan to get it to an even thickness. And once again, I tore the pancake in two trying to flip it over. So I guess both versions are even there. =P

For the dipping sauce, I mixed equal portions of rice wine vinegar and aged soy sauce and added a splash of sesame oil and a pinch of sugar.

Side-by-Side

Comparing the two, all testers found that one was definitely more moist and generally had a preferable texture (less dense) to the other. Otherwise, there didn't seem to be too much of a difference in flavor, although Jenny did mention that because we were using a dipping sauce, just about anything would've tasted the same.

Can you guess which version won the taste test? Answer in the next post.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tomato and Eggs over Rice

It's been a week since my last food post, so here's one that I never got around to posting before. Tomato and eggs over rice is a dish you'll find on many Chinese restaurant menus, but it's so incredibly easy to make that I never order it. The only preparation is chopping the scallions and tomatoes, and you'll most likely have everything else already in your pantry or refrigerator.

This recipe is based on one that I found on the internet a couple of years ago, but I can't seem to find it anymore. I've made it so many times, though, I make it by memory now, and this is my best recollection. Most of the tomato and eggs recipes that I see now don't include the addition of rice wine to the beaten eggs (it makes the eggs a little fluffier) or vinegar and sugar to the tomatoes (they bring out the full flavor of the tomatoes), and some don't even include the scallions or sesame oil, which I think are vital flavor components to this dish.

Fan Qie Chao Dan (Tomato and Scrambled Eggs)
makes 3-4 servings

4 eggs
2 large tomatoes or 3 plum or Roma tomatoes
1 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon rice wine
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Chop the scallions finely and separate the white and green pieces. Chop the tomatoes into 3/4" pieces.

Beat the eggs and add rice wine, sesame oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil until hot. Add egg mixture and cook, folding the cooked parts up and letting the raw parts run down. Once the eggs are 90% done (there will still be some shiny liquidy parts on top) transfer to another dish (I usually use the same bowl I beat the eggs in).

Clean the pan and heat another tablespoon of oil. Once it is hot, add the white scallion pieces and the rest of the salt. Stir fry for 1 minute and then add the tomatoes, the rest of the scallions, vinegar, and sugar. Cook for another 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Add to the tomato mixture, stirring until the sauce is thickened. Add the eggs back in and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to mix. Serve over rice.

Now let's talk a little about how to keep scallions and leftover rice from going bad. Since I usually cook for just myself, I find that having to buy a whole package of scallions becomes a waste for me because inevitably the last couple of bunches will have withered and dried out by the time I get around to using them. And when I make rice, it seems silly to make less than a cup, but if I refrigerate the leftovers, they end up just getting dried out and nasty.

Then I learned from a previous Japanese roommate that the best way to keep leftover rice is to portion it out into individual servings, wrap it in plastic wrap (yes, just in plastic wrap, no container needed), and freeze it. Then when you want a serving of rice, you just pop it into the microwave (still in the plastic wrap) and reheat it. This way, the rice stays nice and hydrated and fluffy! Plus, it will last a lot longer in the freezer than in the refrigerator. If you're afraid of freezer burn, you can always put the wrapped packages of rice in a freezer bag.

As for the scallions, I tried to replant the roots last year in a seedling tray, and it worked okay except that I had to water them pretty often, and since I traveled so much they finally died on me. I was going to replant another set but then I had an epiphany: why don't I just try letting them grow in water like my little bamboo plant? So I went to the store and picked the freshest looking package of scallions I could find and set them in a long necked vase filled with water up to the white part as soon as I got home. Within a day I could see the roots regrowing! And whenever I needed just the green part of the scallion, I would put the white part with the roots back in the vase, and the green part would start growing within a couple of days as well! This is great because now I have fresh scallions whenever I want and only have to replace them when Annie knocks over the vase (twice now and counting).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Scallion Pancakes

This is the first recipe in Sugar and Soy Sauce, and because it's not my mom's, I'm not forbidden to share it. =) Karen Kirkup taught me the recipe, which she learned while working at Icarus. I've tried making scallion pancakes from scratch before but could never get them quite as light and flakey as I like; they were always just a little too chewy. You don't get that problem with this recipe because the secret is in letting the dough rest so that the gluten relaxes enough to allow you to stretch the dough out really, really thin. The recipe is super simple, but just make sure you give yourself sufficient time; the results are worth it.

Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing)
makes 6 pancakes

1 lb. all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water

Chopped scallions
Vegetable oil
Salt

Mix the flour and water together and knead for 5 minutes. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Knead for another 5 minutes and let rest for another 30 minutes at room temperature. Knead one more time for 5 minutes.

Divide into 6 (4 oz.) portions. Roll into balls and cover liberally with oil. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Let the dough come back to room temperature. On an oiled stainless steel surface (I used my non-stick baking tray), roll out one ball of dough and stretch out as thin as possible into a rectangle, being careful not to make any holes in the dough. You should be able to cover almost the entire surface of the baking tray, if you're using one.

Brush the top with oil and sprinkle with salt and scallions.

Starting at one long end, start "flipping" inches of the dough towards the other long end so that you are kind of rolling it up into a long snake. Once it is all folded up, twist the dough like a rope and then coil it up into a spiral. Flatten the spiral with your hands to form pancake discs. Repeat with the other balls of dough.

Heat a liberal amount of oil in a frying pan. When it is hot (but not smoking), add one pancake. After a few minutes, flip once it is golden brown on the bottom. Wait another few minutes until the second side is golden brown as well. Repeat with the other pancakes.

Slice the pankcake into wedges and serve hot with a dipping sauce of soy sauce mixed with vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

To store the pancakes, freeze them in a freezer bag and re-heat on the pan with additional oil. You can also try toasting them in the oven, but it will get dry.

Flaky!

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Hua Juan (Steamed Scallion Buns)

By popular request, here is my mom's hua juan recipe. Hua juan are steamed buns flavored with scallions and twisted to look kind of like a flower (hua juan means "flower twist" in Mandarin).

It is a yeast dough recipe, so you'll have to plan ahead to allow time for the dough to rise and then for the shaped buns to proof. Also, you'll need a way to steam the buns; I use my stock pot with the pasta insert and steamer insert for two layers of steamy goodness.

Hua Juan (Steamed Scallion Buns)
makes 12 buns

For the dough:
1/2 packet yeast (a little more than 1 teaspoon)
3 cups flour
1 cup milk, warmed to a little hotter than a fever (can you tell this recipe is from my mom?)
3/8 cups sugar
1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons chopped scallions, green part only
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Turn on oven to lowest setting. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Mix in the rest of the ingredients for the dough and knead. Cover with a moist cloth or seal tightly and place in oven for 1 hour.

Mix together the ingredients for the glaze and allow to macerate.

Knead the dough again after it has doubled in size and then separate into 12 egg-sized pieces.

Roll each piece into a long oval and cut into long strips, leaving a 1/4" section attached at one end. Brush lightly with the glaze.

Twist and shape buns and place on square of parchment paper.

Let sit in oven again for another 40 - 60 minutes to proof.

Steam for 13 minutes.

If not not eating immediately, transfer to a freezer bag once it has cooled and freeze. To reheat, wrap with plastic wrap or put in a fold-and-close sandwich bag and microwave for 45 seconds.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use the dough itself to make man tou (steamed bread buns) or stuff it with red bean paste to make dou sha bao. Once I even stuffed it with leftover dumpling filling and made rou bao zi.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad