For our readers not from the Greater Boston area, Irene Li and her siblings are the force behind the Mei Mei food truck and (now closed) Mei Mei Dumpling House (meimeidumplings.com). They’re also the authors of one of the best cookbooks to hit the shelves just before the pandemic shut down the world. It’s called Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from Our Chinese-American Kitchen.
The ‶double awesome″ refers to Mei Mei’s signature scallion pancake sandwich. Two flaky scallion pancakes spread with a little basil pesto enclose some cheddar cheese and two oozing eggs. The Double Awesome comes with spicy ketchup on the side for dipping. The name says it all. Part of what we love about the dish is that it speaks of the family’s Chinese roots (both parents are medical doctors) as well as the Americanized tastes of the their US-born children.
Windstar, James Beard, and Irene Li make a powerful trio
Li recently did a guest chef stint on Windstar’s MS Star Pride for its Canadian Maritimes to Boston cruise. Windstar is the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation (www.jamesbeard.org) and Li is a JBF award winner this year for her industry leadership. Among other things, she joined restaurateurs Lily Huang and Tracy Chang to found Project Restore Us to address food insecurity during the pandemic. The nonprofit uses the restaurant supply chain to distribute food to immigrant and working-class families in need. Li is also a three-time semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Rising Chef award.
So when Star Pride made port in Boston recently, the James Beard Foundation used the opportunity to promote Li, her good works, and the work of the Foundation by inviting some food and travel writers aboard for a cooking demonstration. We admit to being lured by the thought of learning dumplings from a master, but we’re just as happy to have learned scallion pancakes.
‶They are one of my favorite foods, an iconic representation of growing up Chinese American,″ Li explained. In fact, her favorite afterschool snack was a grilled American cheese sandwich made with scallion pancakes—comfort food with an family twist. The pancakes became even more comforting during the pandemic. ‶Having a freezer full of scallion pancakes was a huge part of psychological safety in our house,″ she said.
Li gave us permission to share her recipe, which is made with a hot water dough. Hot water actually relaxes the gluten in the flour, making it easier to roll out very thin. Li uses the same dough for dumplings, actually. For the pancakes, she mixes in thinly sliced scallion and then laminates the dough with sesame oil to make the final result flaky. She also shared the ‶secret″ recipe for the spicy ketchup used at Mei Mei in the Double Awesome: ‶One part sriracha, eight parts Heinz.″
Scallion pancakes by Irene Li
Yields 4 servings
Hot water dough
- 270 grams all purpose flour
- 2 grams salt
- 235 grams water boiled and allowed to cool for one minute
- 150 grams thinly sliced scallion
- 60 ml sesame oil
Mix all the ingredients except sesame oil together into a shaggy dough. Wrap in plastic and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
Pancakes
Cut the ball of rested dough into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece and cover the rest with a lightly damp cloth. Roll the piece into a ball, flatten slightly, and then use a rolling pin to flatten into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Use a brush (or your fingers) to cover the dough circle lightly with sesame oil, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup of scallions. Roll up the circle into a snake. Then twist the snake into a snail-like spiral and tuck the end underneath. Flatten slightly with your hand, then use the rolling pin to roll out again into an 8-inch circle.
Repeat the snake and snail steps and roll out again. Be gentle, as scallions may burst out of the dough as you continue. Repeat with the remaining dough to make four pancakes.
Method
Heat a thin layer of neutral oil in a flat pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully slide the pancake into the pan and fry on each side until golden-brown, usually about 2-3 minutes per side. Sprinkle lightly with salt and place on a paper towel to cool. Cut into wedges and serve with Soy Aioli dipping sauce.
Soy Aioli
- 1 egg yolk
- 5 grams garlic cloves, finely minced or grated with a Microplane
- 30 ml soy sauce, divided
- 20 ml rice vinegar, divided
- 180 ml canola oil
Combine the egg, garlic, and half the amount of soy sauce and rice vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil very gradually until all the oil has been incorporated. Then whisk in the remaining half of the soy sauce and vinegar—or more to taste.
Your help can make it happen
For readers who are in the Boston area, Mei Mei expects to return this winter in South Boston. Their new dumpling factory is under construction in the South Boston Iron Works and will include a cafe. We hope the Double Awesome will be on the menu. Li and her siblings are raising money right now to make the dumpling factory a reality. Here’s a link to the funding page: https://numarket.co/fund/mei-mei. Besides good karma, contributors get 120% back in credits to spend at the factory.