This recipe for green onion cakes is based on a recipe from restaurateur Siu To, credited with introducing them to Edmonton in 1979.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
When the soil in my backyard begins to thaw, the first shoots of green to emerge and reach for the sun are onions. By late spring, my garden is exploding with them. Knowing I’ll have an abundant supply until the first fall freeze, one of my favourite things to make with them is green onion cakes.
As an Albertan, I associate the snack with Edmonton, where it has become popular at festivals and events thanks to restaurateur Siu To, who is credited with introducing the Chinese cong you bing (green onion, spring onion or scallion pancake) to the city back in 1979.
The dough and shaping technique produces a texture similar to South Asian parathas. There are many ways to go about it, but the end result is always a flatbread that’s cooked in a hot skillet, with a crisp interior and soft inside that pulls apart into flaky layers.
Change it up with an herby, fresh mix-and-match green pasta sauce
All kinds of fresh green alliums can be used: the green tops of larger onions starting to form underground, the bunches of chives that are waking up in the garden – even garlic scapes as they begin to unfurl.
The cakes freeze beautifully before cooking. Simply stack the rolled-out pieces between sheets of waxed or parchment paper (which make rolling them out easier to begin with); cook later directly from frozen. Having a stash at the ready makes for an amazing snack, quick breakfast or lunch box treat, though they are most delicious eaten warm, straight from the pan.
Green Onion Cakes
This dough is based on To’s recipe. The quantities make a small batch of four, but the recipe is easily doubled. These are delicious eaten warm, drizzled with chili crisp or hot sauce.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp butter or shortening
- 2 tbsp cup canola or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 bunches green onions, roughly chopped
- salt, to taste
In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the water and stir until the dough comes together. Knead until the texture is – as To describes it – the same as your cheek.
Cover dough with a towel and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Melt the butter or shortening and combine with the canola or vegetable oil in a small dish. Stir in the sesame oil.
Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one at a time, roll out into a rectangle or oval as thin as you can get it. (Don’t flour the countertop; you’ll need the dough to grip in order to roll out thin.) Brush with the butter-oil mixture, scatter with green onions and sprinkle with salt.
The next step is to shape the cakes. There are many ways to do so, but here are two of the simpler methods. Starting at a long side, roll the dough up or fold it accordion-style, then coil it like a cinnamon bun. If you want to be more elaborate, coil each end in opposite directions, like an S. If you do this, fold the dough in half at the end, so the two coils are stacked on top of one another.
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However you shape the coils, set them aside to rest for at least 20 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, so you can roll the cakes out again without the dough springing back.
This time, roll them as thin as you’d like; To’s cakes tend to be a bit thicker. You can try rolling the dough between two pieces of parchment; this minimizes the mess of escaping green onions, and can make it easier to transfer the cakes to the pan. At this point, the cakes can be frozen between layers of parchment.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil, ghee, butter or the last of the oil mixture you used to brush the cakes. If you used parchment paper, peel off the top piece, invert the cake into the hot pan and then remove the other piece. Cook one at a time, covered (foil works well to trap the heat if you don’t have a lid) for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook uncovered, reducing the heat to medium-low, until cakes are crisp and golden on both sides. Makes 4.
