Beyond the Great Wall by Jeffrey Alford

Author:Jeffrey Alford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Artisan
Published: 2013-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

HUI TWO-LAYER CREPES

I came across these in Qinghai province, in the market in Xining, being made by a fresh-faced, friendly young Hui woman. Her breads were about ten inches across and she cooked them on a large cast-iron griddle. They’re made with two batters, a plain flour-and-water batter for the first layer, and a second one with egg and a little sugar for the sweeter, richer pale yellow top layer.

We’ve adapted the recipe to make slightly smaller (and thus easier to shape and cook) crepes than the originals. (Also see the Mini-Crepe Alternative, on page 204, for appetizer-sized crepes.) Whatever the size, they’re very attractive, and supple and pleasurable to eat. Make them as a snack, or to accompany any meal. They’ll steal the show….

FIRST BATTER

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups lukewarm water

1½ tablespoons vegetable oil

Generous 1 teaspoon salt

SECOND BATTER

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

About ¼ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil for cooking

Make the batters at least 1 hour, or as long as 3 hours, before you wish to make the breads.

To make the first batter, place the flour in a medium bowl, add the water, and whisk until smooth. Add the oil and salt and whisk to blend. Cover and set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the second batter, place the flour in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and add to the flour, together with the water. Whisk the mixture vigorously until you have a very smooth batter. Whisk in the sugar. Cover and set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour (refrigerate if leaving for longer).

About 10 to 15 minutes before you want to serve the breads, place a griddle or a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet, preferably with low sides (see Note), over high heat. When it is hot, lower the heat to medium-high. Add about ½ teaspoon oil and rub it all over the pan with a wadded-up paper towel.

Whisk the first batter. If it seems a little thick (you want a pourable texture, like a crepe batter), whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Scoop up a scant ¼ cup of batter and pour it onto the hot pan in a spiral, working from the center outward. Use an offset spatula or the back of a large wet spoon to smooth and spread it as thin as possible, to a round about 7 inches in diameter. Let cook briefly, about 1 minute, while you whisk the second batter. Again, if it has thickened, whisk in a little water to thin it to a pourable crepe-batter texture. Scoop up a scant 3 tablespoons of the second batter and pour it on top of the crepe in the pan, using the back of a wet spoon to smooth it out to the edges. Let cook for another minute, or until the surface has turned from liquid to matte. Drizzle on a thin spiral of oil (just over 1 teaspoon), then flip over. Let cook for about 1 minute on the other side, then fold in half and transfer to a plate.

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