Garlic Scape Pancakes
I love scallion pancakes. That flaky, sautéed dough dipped in a gingery soy sauce, hot off the stove is delicious! During late spring, early summer farmer’s markets start to carry those beautiful, curly garlic scapes. They are the shoots that grow from the immature garlic and they have a mild garlic flavor with a crisp bit to them. They are delicious in pesto or just sautéed on their own in some butter. They retain their texture in the pancake, unlike a scallion which gets soft quickly. Since I was given a galloon-sized bag of them recently, we began experimenting and were so happy with the results. See our YouTube video at the bottom of the recipe.
Tips:
This is a laminated dough. It’s in the category of croissant or puff pastry- think layers of dough. Those layers are created by putting fat in-between each layer which you achieve in this recipe when you rollout, form a cylinder, curl into a snail shape, then flatten again. Science!
If you wish to keep your pancakes warm, place them on a baking sheet in a 200 F oven. However, they are best when served straight off the skillet.
You can play around with the type of flour you use. The original recipe used spelt and all purpose, but you can substitute the spelt with just all purpose.
This would be a great appetizer.
I opened up the sides of a galloon size plastic bag and placed each pancake in there to roll out and coil. It prevented it from sticking to my counter.
Garlic Scape Pancakes
Recipe from PBS
Makes 4 large pancakes
PREP 10 minutes plus 1-2 hours of rest
COOK 4 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Pancakes:
1 cup whole spelt flour (optional, use white flour if you prefer)
1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
2 cups finely chopped garlic scapes
Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp. organic soy or tamari sauce
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 to 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar or honey
A pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)
For frying:
About 1/4 cup grapeseed or peanut oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the spelt and white flours together with the salt. Put half of the mixture in one bowl and half in another bowl.
In one bowl add 1/2 cup boiling water. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough can handled. Knead for 2 minutes in the bowl.
In the other bowl, mix the baking powder into the flour. Add the cold water and mix with a wooden spoon until dough can be handled. Knead for 2 minutes in the bowl.
Incorporate both doughs together by kneading them into one another for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. This dough is very forgiving. If its too dry, simply add a bit of water. If it's too sticky, simply add a bit of flour. The dough should feel nice and moist but not stick to your hands.
Shape into a ball, and place in a bowl with a damp towel on top and let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
Roll each one into a thin 9 or 10 inch circle.
Brush with one tablespoon of sesame oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of garlic scapes, evenly distributed over the surface.
Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch in the edges to seal. Coil this cylinder into a spiral and tuck in the end. Flatten it into a disc with the palm of your hand. Roll this out into a flat pancake, about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Let the 4 pancakes rest for about 10 minutes before frying.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by whisking all ingredients together.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat. When the oil is hot, gently place the pancake into the pan and cook on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes or until nice and golden. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Cut the pancakes into wedges and serve hot, with the dipping sauce.