Spring onion cakes

• metric measuring scales,
• cups and spoons
• non-slip mat
• cook’s knife
• chopping board
• 2 tea towels
• grater
• bowls – 1 large, 1 small
• small saucepan
• wok
• wooden spoon
• rolling pin
• egg lift

• 250 g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 40 g butter
• 200 ml water
• 2 tsp canola oil
• Oil, for shallow-frying

Filling

• 2 tsp salted black beans
• 1 x 2 cm-long piece ginger
• 6 spring onions

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.

Make the dough.

• Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in the water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then tip into flour.  Mix with a wooden spoon until flour is incorporated. As soon as you can touch the dough (it will be hot!), knead it for 1 minute or until smooth, then return it to the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel.  Leave while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling

• Put the black beans into a small bowl and crush with the back of a teaspoon.  Finely chop the black beans on a chopping board.
• Peel and finely grate the ginger.
• Trim and finely chop the spring onions.
• Mix the filling ingredients together in the small bowl.

Make the pancakes

• Take the ball of dough and roll it into a fat sausage shape, then cut the roll into 16 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a small ball and dust with extra flour.  Roll each ball into a thin, 12 cm round with a rolling pin.  Brush each round very lightly with oil.
• Scatter the filling over the dough rounds, dividing it evenly. Using your fingers, roll each circle up like a fat sausage to enclose the filling.  Slightly flatten each sausage and then roll it into a snail shape. Pinch ends firmly.
• Lightly dust ‘snails’ with extra flour.  Flatten each one gently with your hand and roll out to a then 10 cm round with a rolling pin.
• Pour oil into a wok to a depth of 1 cm and heat over high heat.  When hot, put in as many pancakes as will fit in a single layer.  They should bubble and blister after about 1 minute.  Turn over and cook the other side.  Drain on paper towel.  Serve warm.