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Bok Choy Pancake with Soy Dipping Sauce

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, plus more if needed
  • 1 large head bok choy (1 1/2 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup flour, plus more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. Put 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron, carbon steel, or other nonstick) over medium heat.
  2. Trim the bok choy; cut or pull off the leaves and thinly slice the stems.
  3. Add the stems to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Cut the bok choy leaves into thin ribbons.
  5. Add the leaves, a little salt, and some pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves wilt and the stems are nearly tender but still have some crunch, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the egg, 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/2 cup water. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. It should have the consistency of thin pancake batter; if it doesn’t, add more water or flour as necessary.
  7. When the bok choy is done, stir it into the batter. Put a thin film of vegetable oil in the skillet if it’s dry and put it back over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, pour in the batter and spread it into an even layer with a spatula. Adjust the heat so the pancake sizzles without burning. Cover and cook undisturbed until the edges crisp and the batter sets, 4 to 8 minutes.
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup water.
  9. Peek to see if the pancake is browned on the bottom, then loosen it with a spatula. To turn, cover the pancake with an unrimmed baking sheet and invert the skillet, being careful to avoid any hot pan drippings. (I usually do this over the sink or a cutting board.)
  10. Slide the pancake off the baking sheet back into the skillet and cook until the second side is crisp and the pancake is no longer raw in the center (use a paring knife to cut into it and peek), another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pancake to a cutting board. Cut it into wedges or squares and serve with little bowls of the dipping sauce.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Bean Sprout Pancake with Soy Dipping Sauce Instead of the bok choy, use 12 ounces bean sprouts (about 3 cups) and 1 thinly sliced medium shallot. Cook the shallot as you would the stems in Step 2 and the bean sprouts as the leaves in Step 3. The rest of the recipe stays the same.

Scallion-Crab Pancake with Citrusy Dipping Sauce Instead of the bok choy, use 2 bunches scallions. Cut the white parts into inch-long pieces and slice the green tops; keep them separate. Cook the white parts as you would the bok choy stems in Step 2 and the green tops as the leaves in Step 3. Add 8 ounces lump crabmeat (about 1 cup) to the batter in Step 4. For the dipping sauce, use a mixture of lemon or lime and orange juices for the rice vinegar.

Carrot-Edamame Pancake with Miso Dipping Sauce Substitute 1 pound carrots and 1 cup frozen shelled edamame for the bok choy. Trim and grate the carrots; stir-fry them and the edamame at the same time in the hot oil as described in Steps 2 and 3. Stir frequently; they both should be soft in about 5 minutes. Assemble the pancake batter and cook as described. For the dipping sauce, whisk together 1/4 cup white or yellow miso, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and 1/2 cup water.