Thousand-Layer Scallion Pancakes with Homemade Scallion Oil

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt, pour in the boiling water a little at a time while stirring with chopsticks into flakes, add the cold water and knead for 5 min. This dough has more hot water than the classic, so it ends up extra soft and moist. It is sticky at first but turns smooth as you knead; don't add more flour.

   Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 160 gSalt ¼ tspBoiling water 80 mlCold water 30 ml

2. Cover the dough and rest it for a full 1 h. Meanwhile make the infused oil: put the oil, thinly sliced shallot, sliced ginger and star anise in a 14 cm small pan, start from cold and cook over medium-low heat for 8 min, gently frying. As soon as the shallot is light golden brown, strain the hot oil into a heatproof bowl with the flour and five-spice and stir into a paste. Dark brown shallot tastes bitter, so watch it. Thinly slice the scallions and pat them dry.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil (for the infused oil) 4 tbspShallot 1Fresh ginger 5 gStar anise 1All-purpose flour (for the oil paste) 2 tspFive-spice powder 1 pinch

   medium-low heat

3. Divide the dough into 2 piece(s) and roll each very thin, about 30×20 cm and 1 mm thick. Spread with the oil paste, scatter with the rest of the salt and the scallions, then fold it back and forth like a paper fan in 2 cm pleats from a long side to make a long pleated strip. Hold both ends and gently stretch it a little longer.

   Add in this stepSalt ½ tspScallions (green onions) 6

4. Coil the strip into a snail from one end and tuck the end underneath. Cover and rest for 15 min, then press down gently with your palm to a 16–18 cm round about 1 cm thick. Keeping it thicker than the classic lets the inner layers puff up and stay fluffy.

5. In a 24 cm pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil per pancake over medium heat until a chopstick dipped in gives off small bubbles (about 160 °C), then add the pancake. Fry 2 minutes per side until golden, lower to medium-low heat, cover and steam for 4 min to cook the thick centre through. Lift the lid away from you to avoid the steam, then fry 1 more minute per side to re-crisp. Work in 2 batch(es), 18 min in total.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil (for frying) 2 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

6. Push the edges sharply toward the centre a few times with two spatulas so the layers fan open. Cut into 4 to 6 wedges and serve straight away.