The first time I ever ate a thousand layer pancake was at the famed A&J Restaurant on Rockville Pike in Maryland. To order there, you make small tallies on a paper menu (a culinary scantron, if you will). My mom wrote a “2” next to “抓餅” — we’d never seen them before but the low price made it seem like they would be very small. We are also a family that does not understand portion control.
– jeffrey
The waitress came by to pick up the order sheet and without any hesitation announced, “Two is too much.”
“How do you know what’s good for me???”
“THAT’S MY OPINION.”
Ok, that conversation was actually between Vicky and Tamra on the Real Housewives of Orange County reunion couch, But what I witnessed was very similar. I actually can’t remember what we settled on. Knowing my mother, she probably didn’t take no for an answer,
Preparation time: 45 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total cook time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the roux
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 star anise
- 1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorn
- 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
For the dough
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
For the roux, heat up the two oils in a small saucepan. When hot, add the anise and peppercorn and cook for about 1 minute (until the aromas are released, but before the spices darken and burn). Remove the spices and add the flour and five spice powder. Mix and take off the heat . The roux should be thick but still runny and spreadable. Set aside until cooled.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Add the boiling water and mix. Slowly incorporate the rest of the water and knead until a smooth ball forms. Rest for 30-45 minutes (until the dough becomes very soft and pliable). Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece as thin as you can into a rectangular shape.
Haters will say this is not a rectangle
Spread 1/4 of the roux mixture (but no more than a very thin layer) across the surface. Fold the dough in half (like a book), press down and stretch horizontally. Make as many horizonal slits as you can across the sheet – the more slits you make, the more layers the pancake will have. Roll length-wise into a long tube and then with that tube form a loose coil. Let rest for 15 minutes before pressing down to flatten and rolling out to 8-inch rounds.
Fry on medium heat with a teaspoon of oil for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the pancake and cook on the other side on medium-low heat for 3 minutes covered (so the steam aids in cooking). Serve with a dipping sauce of chili oil and vinegar.
