Adapted from The New York Times, Recipe of the Day,
February of 2009
, recipe by Mark Bittman
Serves 4
Time:  About 20 minutes

This isn’t the usual hand-held, pizza-dense scallion pancake you find at Chinese restaurants, but a fork-tender pancake reminiscent of a vegetable fritter.  his same formula can be used to make pancakes with other members of the onion family, especially shallots and spring onions. I use peanut oil for this recipe, but that’s only because I associate it with soy sauce. If you omit the soy these pancakes become the perfect accompaniment to braised foods that use European seasonings. You can use any vegetable oil or even a good olive oil.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 bunches scallions or spring onions, about 1 pound
1 egg
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup flour
olive oil as needed

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil while you trim the scallions. Roughly chop three bunches, and mince the fourth

Add the larger portion of scallions to the water, and cook about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked scallions in a blender, adding just enough of the cooking liquid to allow the machine to do its work.

Mix the puree with the egg and soy, then gently stir in the flour until blended. Add pepper to taste, then the reserved minced scallions. Film a well-seasoned skillet with oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. Drop the batter into the pan by the tablespoon or quarter cup, and cook about 2 minutes to a side, or until lightly browned. If necessary, the pancakes can be kept warm in a 200° oven for about 30 minutes.