Green onion cakes.
Just saying those 3 little words out loud,
"green-onion-cakes"
will get my husband drooling.
And nagging for me to make them.
And good wife that I am, I get busy in the kitchen.
Sometimes.
If I want some too, anyway.
This is actually a Chinese bread, (also known as Scallion Pancakes, or Green Onion Pancakes) but my family loved them so much, that I used to make them all the time, even if I wasn't making a Chinese meal.
They're great with soups or stews, as a side with salads, or simply on their own, with a dipping sauce.
In my opinion, they're the perfect accompaniment to just about any meal.
And, they were also my kids favorite go-to snack for after school.
~~~~ Green Onion Cakes ~~~~
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup green onion, chopped finely
optional: a handful or two of diced cooked bacon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon softened butter to brush on dough, or you can brush on bacon grease instead, if you're using bacon.
vegetable oil for frying
~~~
Combine salt and flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the hot water into the flour while stirring. It's kind of like making biscuits from scratch... the dough should start to pull away from the bowl, as you mix it. (you can add additional flour or water as needed, until you have a semi-smooth "dough ball".
Then, on a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and silky... adding a little flour as needed, to achieve a smooth consistency.
I usually use a large piece wax paper or parchment paper for kneading the dough and rolling it out, because I hate the sticky mess that you have to scrape off the counter... and then it gets all under your finger nails and it messes up your good scratch-er sponge as well)
I'm all for short-cuts.
Then, just let it rest in the bowl for a few minutes, covered with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, while you chop the green onions. And crumble the bacon, if you're using it. Crumbled bacon with the green onions is my favorite way of making these, but for a quick addition to dinner, I usually don't bother.
Once you have your chopped green onions ready, take about half of the dough and roll it out on a floured surface. Brush on half of the butter or bacon grease, and then sprinkle half of the onions over the entire greased surface. You can kind of "flatten the green onions in", using your rolling pin, if you want to. (it keeps them from escaping, when you start to roll the dough up)
From the wide edge, roll the dough by hand, kind of "jelly-roll style", keeping it as tight as you can. If you can't... well, no biggie. This stuff is versatile. (I've even just pinched off large walnut sized pieces by hand, and then flattened them, but they're not as "purty and swirly looking" as the jelly-rolled ones
Once you have your roll... ermm... "rolled", pinch the open seam closed, and try and shape it so that it's fairly even. Even if you have to squish it a bit.
We're going for taste here.... not perfection.
Cut the roll into about 8 equal pieces, flatten them slightly, then one at a time, dip each piece lightly in a bit of the left-over flour, and then roll them into a circle...
Once you're done with the first 8 pieces, repeat with the other half of the dough and green onions.
That's it.
Now fry them.
Heat the oil in a skillet to about medium, and then fry each cake one side at a time, until it's golden brown.
I usually fit 3 or 4 at a time in my big 12 inch cast iron skillet, because I like to push and turn them around a bit, before turning them over... for more even color.
Once they're golden brown, drain them on paper towels.
That's it.
We had them with salad tonight, but the left-overs are good cold, for snacking, too! ( I know this for a fact, because I'm trying to type with greasy fingers right now. But shhh...)
