Eating the scallion pancakes at Mr. Wonton is like being in a wonderful dream. Open the little take out box and discover six fresh, crispy wedges with soft, scallion stuffed layers, steaming and waiting for you to gobble them up. They are neither too oily nor too dry and tasteless, but instead, pristinely perfect and piping hot. I’ll add a picture soon, as I’m pretty sure I’m going to get them for dinner tonight: these six pancake wedges are just $3.05, which makes them a wonderful “cheap-eats” option for those of us living on a budget (me).
I haven’t tried the other food here yet, but plan on it, since it’s across the street from where I live.
Mr. Wonton is in Park Slope, at 73 7th avenue (and Berkeley Place), Brooklyn NY 11217. Tel: 718-398-7088.
Scallion Pancake Recipe
[from Saveur, December 2000]
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
vegetable oil
1. Put flour in a bowl and add 1 1/4 cups boiling water, stirring with a fork until dough holds together. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead together until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 12 pieces, shape into balls, and cover with plastic. Working with 1 ball at a time, roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a 5″ round. Brush with a thin film of shortening. Sprinkle with a little sesame oil, some scallions, and salt and pepper. Roll dough into a cylinder, coil it into a circle, and tuck end underneath. Roll into a 5″ round. Repeat process with the remaining dough.
3. Heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Fry cakes, one at a time, until blistered and golden, about two minutes per side. Add more vegetable oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
