There’s this running joke in the movie Two Weeks Notice (2002) where Sandra Bullock’s character Lucy, who is a Mylanta-guzzling, workaholic stress-eater, phones in for ridiculously large orders of Chinese takeout (mostly for herself) from her favorite neighborhood restaurant. We don’t exactly know what she’s ordering, aside from a last minute addition of egg rolls, because Lucy is such a regular she’s memorized the menu and just goes by the numbers.
While I don’t usually pull a “Lucy” (ordering enough to feed six), I do have my favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurants on speed dial, and have been known to call in orders on my way home from work on a semi-regular basis. Gotta love that bluetooth technology in my car! Like Lucy, I tend to order my standbys, although they vary from restaurant to restaurant because no one place has everything I want. So, if I’m in the mood for Beef Chow Fun and Singapore Rice Noodles, it’s coming from Just Won Won. If I want Fook Keen Fried Rice, it’s Riverside. However, if I have a hankering for Fried Scallion Pancakes, I’m shit out of luck. After several tries (I kept hoping they were just having an off night), my old go-to place has alas failed to deliver a product worthy of the calories.
Being a woman whose culinary pursuits are directly linked to her appetite, I haven’t let that minor glitch keep me from indulging my cravings. Okay, it’s not exactly instant gratification–they do take a little time and effort to make–but these (relatively) easy Fried Scallion Pancakes with Peanut Sauce are truly satisfying…and worth the calories. All you need is some flour, a couple of scallions, a little toasted sesame, chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, some frying oil and you’re in business! Who needs take-out?!
Fried Scallion Pancakes
(adapted from Dim Sum by Ellen Leong Blonder)
Yield: 6
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. sea or kosher salt
- 1/2 cup boiling hot water
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seed
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. boiling hot water
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
Whisk together the ingredients until the water and soy sauce are fully incorporated into the peanut butter.
