1/3 c Sifted all-purpose flour 3 lg Garlic cloves
4 ts Sugar – peeled and minced
1/4 ts Salt 2 ts Oriental sesame oil
1/4 ts Pepper 1/2 lb Tender young asparagus
5 lg Eggs; beaten until frothy -trimmed of coarse stem ends
1/2 lb Ground pork shoulder – peeled and cut into
6 md Scallions; trimmed – moderately fine julienne
– sliced thin 2 tb Vegetable oil
– (include some green tops)
DIPPING SAUCE
1 1″ cube ginger 1 tb Cider vinegar
– peeled and minced 1 tb Mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/3 c Soy sauce 1 ts Hot sesame oil
SIFT THE FLOUR, SALT, PEPPER and 2 teaspoons of the sugar into a large
bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the eggs into it. Stir just enough
to combine the ingredients. In a medium skillet set over moderate heat,
stir-fry the pork, scallions, and two-thirds of the garlic in the sesame
oil for 8-to-10 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink; do not brown the
meat. Add the asparagus, toss for 1-or-2 minutes over moderate heat, then
allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. In a separate bowl, combine
the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable oil, to make a dipping
sauce. When the pork mixture is cool, stir it into the reserved batter.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until
ripples show on the skillet bottom. Half fill a 1/4-cup measuring cup with
the batter and drop the batter into the hot oil, evening up the ragged
edges of the pancake. Add 3 more pancakes to the skillet, smoothing the
edges as before, and brown them for 1-to-1 1/2 minutes per side. Drain them
on paper towels, then keep them warm on an uncovered platter in a 250F
oven. Fry the rest of the pancakes, adding more vegetable oil to the
skillet if needed. Serve the pancakes hot with the dipping sauce.
JEAN ANDERSON PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK
Yields
4 servings