Chinese Noodle Pancakes With Asparagus Recipes

MANDARIN PANCAKES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour and boiling water, starting with 3/4 cup. Begin stirring it immediately, adding a little more water at a time until a shaggy dough forms.
• Knead the warm dough for about 6 minutes, or until you have a smooth dough. If the dough sticks to your hands or the counter, add a sprinkle of flour.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Turn the rested dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half to form 2 balls. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll each half out until it is 1/4-inch thick.
• Use a cookie cutter or trace a glass or mug with a knife to cut out 3-inch circles of dough.
• Use a pastry brush to brush 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil over the top of 2 dough circles. Lay one pancake on top of the other, so that the oiled sides are together. (Don't worry if one of the edges hangs over the other.)
• Roll out the pancakes together to form a 6-inch circle. Continue with the remainder of the pancakes. Use a damp towel to cover the prepared pancakes and keep them from drying out while preparing the remaining dough.
• Heat a nonstick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Add one of the pancake pairs and cook until browned on both sides-about 3 minutes altogether; the second side will cook more quickly than the first side.
• Remove the paired pancakes from the pan and pull them apart while they are still hot. Cover to keep warm. Continue with the remainder of the pancakes. Serve immediately.

NOODLE PANCAKES

Steps:

• 1. Place all the ingredients (except for the olive oil) in a bowl and stir to combine.
• 2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
• 3. Pour about 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture per pancake in the pan and cook for 3 minutes (you can pour as many pancakes at once as fit comfortably in your pan).
• 4. Flip the pancakes and cook an additional 3 minutes. Continue making the pancakes with the remaining mixture.

CHINESE PANCAKES: BOK BANG

Steps:

• Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the boiling water and stir in 1 direction with a wooden spoon. When the flour absorbs the water and cools, knead the dough into a ball and then place it on a work surface dusted with flour. Knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough is thoroughly smooth. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• On a flour-dusted work surface roll the dough into a 12-inch sausage and divide into 12 (1-inch) pieces. Flatten each piece with your palm, using more flour to dust if the dough is sticky. While working, cover the dough not in use with plastic wrap. Working with 2 pieces of dough at a time, wipe 1 side of each piece gently with sesame oil and place 1 flattened, oiled piece atop another. Roll them together into 7-inch rounds. The result is a 2-layer pancake. Repeat until 6 (2-layer) pancakes are made.
• Heat a wok over low to medium heat for 1 minute. Place a double pancake in the dry wok and cook for a minute, until it begins to bubble up. (The heat in the dry wok must be carefully controlled. If it is too high, the pancakes will burn.) Turn the pancake over and cook until a few brown spots appear. Remove from the wok and separate into 2 layers. You will have 2 pancakes, each browned lightly on 1 side and white on the other. Repeat until all the dough is used and you have 12 pancakes.
• Before serving, steam the pancakes in a stack for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and hot. Brush the pancake with hoisin sauce, place the chicken slice in the pancake, add some scallion, and fold up the bottom to create an envelope closed on 3 sides but open at the top. Serve immediately.
• 1/3 cup sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon Shao-Hsing wine or sherry
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Combine the poaching ingredients in a large pot (preferably an oval Dutch oven) and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Raise the heat to high and return to a boil. Place the chicken in the pot, breast side-up. Cover. When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat the process.
• Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit in the liquid, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a rack that has been set into a platter and allow to drain. Pierce the skin with a fork to help the draining. Discard all the ingredients from the pot. Reserve poaching liquid for later use.
• Mix the coating ingredients, and with a pastry brush, coat the chicken thoroughly with the mixture. Allow the chicken to dry completely, about 6 hours. During this time, turn the chicken, taking care not to mar the coating. (An electric fan can reduce the drying time by half.)
• Heat a wok over high heat for a minute. Add the peanut oil and heat it to 375 degrees F. Using a large Chinese strainer, lower the chicken into the oil, breast side up, and deep-fry for 3 minutes. Use a ladle to pour oil over the chicken to ensure uniformity in frying. Turn the chicken over by inserting a wooden spoon in its cavity, and deep-fry for another 3 minutes, ladling the oil as before. Repeat until the chicken is golden brown. Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken and allow it to drain. Place the chicken on a chopping board and slice the meat and skin together into pieces 1 by 2 inches.

BEEF & ASPARAGUS WITH CHINESE NOODLES

Steps:

• Trim fat from beef.
• Cut beef into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Mix egg white, cornstarch, sesame oil and white pepper in medium glass or plastic bowl.
• Stir in beef.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
• While noodles are cooking, spray 12-inch nonstick skillet or wok with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium to high heat.
• Add beef; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until brown.
• Add asparagus and bell pepper; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Add stir-fry sauce; stir fry about 1 minute or until heated through.
• Serve over noodles.

ASPARAGUS PANCAKES WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1/2. Mix the flours, bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 tsp salt together in a bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, egg and 3 tbsp melted butter together in another bowl, then gradually whisk into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining butter and the oil, plus the asparagus, and fry, turning, for 3-4 mins until almost tender.
• Turn the heat down and scoop out all but 6 of the asparagus spears. Arrange the 6 left in the pan into 2 groups of 3. Use a ladle to spoon a little batter over each group of asparagus, to make 2 round pancakes, with the asparagus hidden underneath. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface - about 2-3 mins. Flip over and cook for 1-2 mins more until golden and set. Remove and keep warm in the oven while you use the remaining asparagus and batter to make another 10 pancakes.
• Pile 3 pancakes on each plate and add a pile of smoked salmon. Serve with some soured cream, a good grinding of black pepper, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

CRISPY NOODLE PANCAKE

Steps:

• Cook noodles in large pot of boiling water 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain well. Toss with green onions, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and pepper in bowl.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sesame oil in a heavy 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add noodles and flatten slightly. Cook without stirring until light brown, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook second side until light brown, 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cut into wedges.

PAN-FRIED CHINESE PANCAKES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt in warm water, and mix in 1 cup of flour to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead until slightly springy, about 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, knead in 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Divide the dough into 8 equal-size pieces, and keep the pieces covered with a cloth.
• In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of flour with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to make a mixture like fine crumbs.
• On a floured work surface, roll a piece of dough out into a thin square about 5x7 inches in size, brush the dough with toasted sesame oil, and sprinkle lightly with about 1 1/2 teaspoon of the flour-oil mixture. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion onto the dough, and spread the onion out evenly. Starting with a long end, roll the dough up into a rope shape, and pinch the seam and the ends closed. Roll the rope shape into a flat spiral, and press lightly with your hands to compact the spiral and keep it from unrolling.
• Place the spiral down onto the floured work surface, and gently roll it out into a pancake with the onions folded inside, turning the pancake over often as you roll it out. Roll gently and turn often to avoid making holes in the pancakes. Finished pancakes should be about 5 inches in diameter. Repeat with the rest of the dough pieces, making 8 onion pancakes.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, and brush with vegetable oil. Pan-fry each pancake in the hot skillet until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and serve warm.