Ingredients
2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup very hot water (or more)
2 tbsp sesame oil
Directions
PUT THE FLOUR into a large bowl. Stir the hot water gradually into the
flour, mixing all the while with chopsticks or a fork until the water
is fully incorporated. Add more water if the mixture seems dry.
Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead it with your hands until
smooth. This should take about 8 minutes. Put the dough back into the
bowl, cover it with a clean, damp towel and let it rest for about 30
seconds. After the resting period, take the dough out of the bowl and
knead it again for about 5 minutes, dusting with a little flour if it
is sticky. Once the dough is smooth, form it into a roll about 18
inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Take a knife and cut the roll
into equal segments. There should be about 18. Roll each segment into
a ball. Take two of the dough balls, dip one side of one ball into
the sesame oil and place the oiled side on top of the other ball.
Take a rolling pin, and roll the two together into a circle about 6
inches in diameter. It is important to roll double pancakes in this
way because the resulting dough will remain moist inside and you will
be able to roll them thinner but avoid the risk of overcooking them
later. Heat a skillet or wok over a very low heat. Put the double
pancake into the wok or pan and cook it until it has dried on one
side. Flip it over and cook the other side. Remove from the pan, peel
the pancakes apart and set them aside. Repeat this process until all
the dough balls have been cooked. Steam the pancakes to reheat them,
or you can wrap them tightly in a double sheet of foil and put them
into a pan containing 1 inch of boiling water.
KEN HOM PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK
Servings: 6 servings
Chinese Pancakes Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Asian; Breakfast; Cake; Chinese; Pancake
The History of Recipes
It is possible to trace the history of written recipes back into antiquity, at least as far as ancient Egypt, and possibly even further than that. However, mostly, these old records were just very basic hieroglyphic instructions for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to experts in ancient history is a series of ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. Later on, in The time of the roman empire around 25BC a man called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts describing recipes enjoyed by wealthy roman citizens. In his publication, Apicius describes how the roman meals were divided into appetizers, main course and dessert, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius also recounts how the ancient chefs used a wide range of aromatic flavours, including some that we all recognise like bay, mint and asafoetida. Later, in the fifteenth century, the Crusaders brought back many spices and herbs from middle-east cuisine, such as coriander, parsley, and rosemary. These new herbs and spices created a torrent in publications on food, some of which are now in private cookery archives. During the following few hundred years, the wealthy families of the West competed with each other to serve up the most exotic meals, and because of this cooks and their recipes increased in prestige. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that fine cookery and recipe publications became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated their lives to assembling, trying out, and writing down recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the time we get to the 1900s, cooking books were in high demand, mostly due to higher levels of literacy, more free time and a general increase in wealth. The arrival of television brought us cooking programs and the recipe books that accompanied them. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the internet revolution, permitting us all to search through thousands of recipes just like those on sites such as the one you are reading now. |
We hope you enjoy this Chinese Pancakes recipe.
