GRILLED SCALLION PANCAKES

Grilled Scallion Pancakes image

Flaky, crispy, and packed with flavor from the grill. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Scallion pancake dough grills up as marvelously as it fries, getting crisp, bubbly, and nicely charred. Take your scallion pancakes to the grill for extra crispness and flavor. Why This Recipe Works * Rolling and re-rolling the scallion pancakes twice produces four to five times as many flaky layers as a traditional recipe. * Using the grill to cook the pancakes produces crisp, charred, flavorful results.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:
2 cups (about 10 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface
1 cup (8 ounces) boiling water
Up to 1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
2 cups thinly sliced scallion greens
Kosher salt
For the Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinkiang or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely sliced scallion greens
1/2 teaspoon grated or slivered fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar

Steps:

1 For the Pancakes Place flour in bowl of food processor. With processor running, slowly drizzle in about 3/4 of boiling water. Process for 15 seconds. If dough does not come together and ride around the blade, drizzle in more water a tablespoon at a time until it just comes together. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
Divide dough into four even pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Working one ball at a time, roll out into a disk roughly 8-inches in diameter on a lightly floured surface. Using a pastry brush, paint a very thin layer of sesame oil over the top of the disk. Season with salt.
Roll disk up like a jelly roll.
Twist roll into a tight spiral, tucking the end underneath. Flatten gently with your hand, then re-roll into an 8-inch disk.
Paint with another layer or sesame oil, sprinkle with 1/2 cup scallions, and roll up like a jelly roll again.
Twist into a spiral and flatten gently.
Re-roll into a 7-inch disk, brush with oil, and transfer to a plate lined in foil or parchment paper. Repeat steps two and three with remaining pancakes and stack them.
For the Sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside at room temperature.
Grill the Pancakes: Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Working one pancake at a time, carefully drape pancake directly on grill grates. Cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and well browned and blistered. Transfer to a cutting board and cover with a towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancakes. Cut into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.