Fried hot cakes
Use leftover roast chicken and a quick stir-fry to whip up these crispy snacks for late-night cravings!
This is our interpretation of an easy-to-make snack recipe we discovered on thewoksoflife.com.
Makes 8 hot cakes Preparation: 45 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
• 30ml sesame seeds
• 15ml sesame oil
DOUGH
• 280g (500ml) cake flour
• a generous pinch of sea salt and white pepper
• 3 spring onions, white parts chopped very finely
• 30ml oil (we used sesame oil)
• about 200ml boiled water, cooled slightly
FILLING
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated or julienned
• 12 mushrooms, finely chopped
• 300ml finely chopped cabbage
• 15ml oil
• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
• garlic to taste (optional)
• 5ml finely grated fresh ginger (optional)
• 15–30ml soy sauce (optional)
• fresh coriander
• about 300ml shredded roast chicken
1 Make the dough Sift the flour and season with the salt, pepper and spring onions. Stir in the oil and boiled water and knead the warm dough until smooth. Cover with cling wrap and allow to rest on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. 2 Stir-fry the vegetables for the filling briefly in a little oil until aromatic. If you wish, you can also stir in the chilli, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. 3 Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized balls; sprinkle a little flour on your work surface if the dough sticks. Keep a bowl of sesame oil, a brush and your filling at hand.
4 Now roll out the dough balls into long thin strips, one at a time. Brush with a little oil and spoon some of the filling over the half closest to you. Now roll the strip up tightly away from you (see photo) until you create a cigar shape. Hold it upright and squash it with the palm of your hand to form a bun shape. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
5 Pan-fry the filled buns in oil until cooked through and golden-brown on both sides. If you are worried that the dough is brown on the outside and still raw inside, bake the buns for about 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C. Serve with a dipping sauce such as soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce and garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander.
You could probably get through life without knowing how to roast a chicken but the question is, would you want to? – Nigella Lawson