Happy Chinese New Year! It’s officially the Year of the Dog, and we’ve fetched a doggone delicious recipe to help you celebrate.
In honor of China’s largest and most celebrated holiday, we teamed up with a local restaurateur to learn how to make Peking duck jianbing. These “Chinese crepes” are sold from street carts back in China and are a cultural staple.
Brian Goldberg, the owner of Mr. Bing in New York City, lived in China for 14 years and speaks fluent Mandarin. He’s also an excellent cook.
Goldberg shared his technique for making the perfect jianbing:
For the batter:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup mung bean flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups water
For the crispy wontons:
1 cup vegetable oil
16 wonton wrappers
For the crepes:
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 eggs
Crepe batter
½ cup of roast duck
1¼ cups scallions, thinly sliced
5 teaspoons black sesame seeds
5 tablespoons hoisin
5 tablespoons chili paste
1? cups crispy wontons
1¼ cups cilantro leaves
Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and mung bean flours and salt. Whisk in the water, and once a smooth batter forms, set aside.
Make the crispy wontons: In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Fry the wonton wrappers in 4 batches of 4 until golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Remove and cool completely on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. When cool, crush the wontons into 1-inch chips with your hands.
Make the crepes: In a crepe pan or a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Using a whisk, scramble 1 egg in a small bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan and, using a bench scraper, work quickly to spread the crepe along the entire surface of the pan.
Once the crepe begins to curl at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes, pour the scrambled egg mixture on top and spread into an even layer over the entire surface. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the scallions and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds over the egg. Cook for 1 minute more until the egg begins to set. Carefully flip the crepe and brush with 1 tablespoon of the hoisin and 1 tablespoon of the chili paste, then scatter 1/4 cup of the crushed wonton chips, ¼ cup of the cilantro leaves and roast duck on top.
Fold the crepe, like a letter, horizontally and vertically to form a squared pancake. Cut in half and serve immediately.
Makes 5 jianbing
