ep 06: "Hi, our name is Shan!"

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No extra thoughts this week, just the recipe.

Thank you for your patience as I produced this episode. I know, we’re no longer on that “every other Thursday” schedule I so boldly claimed when embarking on this project. Life has gotten the better of me over the past few weeks. I am humbled to receive messages asking, “Where is the episode?”—it means a lot to know that this little show is something you look forward to, more than I can put into words at the moment. And the kind words of encouragement you sent along when I replied, “A little swamped with work atm!” are deeply appreciated.

To that end, I have no extra tidbits to share in this email newsletter, beyond the recipe below. See you on the episode :)

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The Recipe: 萝卜饼 | Radish Pancakes

Time: 1 hour to prep; 30-45 min to cook

Serves: 3-4 (makes 9-10 pancakes)

Ingredients

• 1 lb white radish, cut into sticks the width of bbq sticks (about 1/4” thick)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 - 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 3 green scallions, sliced

• Neutral oil (to fry)

Cooking

1. Peel and chop the radish into matchsticks around the width of a BBQ kebab stick.

2. Place julienned radish into a large mixing bowl and toss with 1 tsp salt.

3. Set aside for an hour. The salt will allow the radish to release liquid. Do not throw any of the liquid away! Keep everything in the bowl.

4. Once the radish has been sitting for an hour and released some liquid, mix in half a cup of flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder. You’re looking for the radish to be evenly coated in a pancake-batter-like consistency. Depending on how much juice your radish released, you may need up to one cup of flour! (You can always save it by adding water if things are looking dry)

5. Add in the chopped scallions, and mix to combine. Set the bowl aside and get ready to cook!

6. Heat a wok over medium heat with about 1 cup of neutral oil. When you see it smoking a little, you will know the oil is hot enough. You can also test it by placing the tip of a chopstick in. If the oil sizzles a little, it’s hot enough!

7. Using a 1/4 cup, scoop and lay the radish mixture into the oil. Fry for ~30 seconds to 1 minute before flipping for the first time. You’ll want to flip the pancake back and forth to ensure even cooking through the center of the pancake. Fry until dark golden brown on the edges. Each radish pancake takes around 3-5 minutes in total.

8. Set the cooked pancake aside on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat step 7 until there is no more radish mixture left. (Be sure to mix the mixture each time before you scoop a new pancake to ensure even batter coating.)

9. Serve pancakes immediately while hot! We enjoy eating this with some congee.