Cong You Bing — Flaky Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup boiling water
• ⅓ cup cold water
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for frying
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, for the roux
• 8 scallions, sliced very thin
• 1½ tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tsp chili crisp

Method

1. Stir the boiling water into the flour with chopsticks, then add the cold water and knead 5 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes — this is non-negotiable if you want it to roll thin.
2. Warm the 3 tbsp oil and whisk in the 3 tbsp flour to make a loose paste. This roux, not plain oil, is what keeps the layers separate.
3. Divide the dough into four. Roll each piece paper-thin, smear with roux, sprinkle with salt and scallions, then roll it into a long rope, stretch it, and coil it into a snail. Rest 10 minutes, then flatten to a 7-inch round.
4. Fry in a shallow film of oil over medium heat, 3 minutes a side, until deeply blistered and golden. Once out of the pan, crush the pancake gently between your hands to shatter the layers apart.
5. Cut into wedges and dip in the soy sauce whisked with black vinegar and chili crisp.