Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing, 葱油饼)

Put flour into a heatproof bowl. Pour in hot water. Stir with chopsticks until no more loose flour or water can be seen. Use your hands to combine the mixture into a rough-looking dough (see note 3).

Tightly cover the dough with cling film and leave to rest for 15 mins.

While waiting, add melted lard (or other oil), flour, Sichuan pepper (or five-spice) and salt to a small bowl. Mix until it becomes a smooth paste.

Uncover the dough then knead until it becomes very smooth. Rub a thin layer of oil around the dough, as well as the work surface.

With a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a thin, rectangular piece. For your reference, mine measures about 43cm(17") by 33cm (13").

Brush the filling mixture over the dough, then sprinkle finely chopped scallions on top.

From the shorter side of the dough piece, roll the dough into a rope (don’t make it too tight).

Cut the rope into 4 cylinders. Stand a piece on one end. Press down with your hand, then flatten it with the rolling pin into a pancake that measures around 13cm/5” in diameter. Alternatively, cut the rope into 3 parts and roll each into a thinner pancake which measures about 23cm/9”.

In a skillet/frying pan, heat oil over high heat until hot. Drop a piece of scallions in to test. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough.

Turn the heat down to medium and put in the pancakes (the top side facing down). You may cook 4 thick pancakes all at once in a large pan (28cm/11"), or 1 thin pancake at a time.

Cover the skillet with a lid and leave to cook for about 2 minutes until the side facing down becomes golden brown (adjust the cooking time if necessary). Flip the pancakes over, then cover again to cook the other side. Remove them from the pan once the second side turns golden too.

For the best result, rest the pancakes on a wire rack for a minute or two before serving (condensation will form if placed on a plate straightaway). Also, the remaining heat will cook the inside further during the resting time.

Best to enjoy them while warm. You can serve them as breakfast/afternoon snack, or as a staple for regular meals with savoury dishes, soup or congee.

The thick version can be served as it is and torn apart to eat. The thin version is often cut into triangular pieces.

Although they are tasty on their own, a dipping sauce would make a great accompaniment, e.g. a simple mixture of homemade chilli oil, black rice vinegar and light soy sauce.

Store leftover pancakes in airtight bags in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan/oven/air-fryer.

To make a big batch and cook later, double or triple the recipe proportionally. Freeze uncooked pancakes right after they’re rolled out. Pile them up with parchment paper in between and store in sealed plastic bags.

Cook frozen pancakes without defrosting following the same method. If they’re thick ones, add a little water while cooking with the lid on (like how you make pan-fried dumplings).