Egg, Cheddar, and Greens Sandwich on Scallion Pancakes
Among the creative sandwiches at Boston’s Mei Mei is the Double Awesome: two fried eggs, cheddar cheese, and a pesto of local greens served between two scallion pancakes. We streamlined the recipe by substituting fresh greens and flavored mayo.
Photo Credit : Brian Samuels
Photo Credit : Brian Samuels
Owned by siblings Irene, Andrew, and Margaret Li, the casual eatery Mei Mei (mei mei means “little sister” in Chinese) near Fenway Park serves the Chinese-American mash-ups that the Lis ate as kids. Among their creative sandwiches is the Double Awesome: two fried eggs, cheddar cheese, and a pesto of local greens (we streamlined the recipe by substituting fresh greens and flavored mayo) served between scallion pancakes. Unlike most pancakes, these are made with dough instead of batter. But as Irene says, “The dough is easy to make, and once you get the hang of it, it’s dangerous—you’ll want to make them all the time!” The siblings will publish their first cookbook, Double Awesome Chinese Food, in February 2019.
Yield:
2 sandwichesFor the pancakes:
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup hot water (boiled and allowed to cool for about a minute)
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil, divided, plus more for frying
1 ⅓ cups thinly sliced scallions, divide
Instructions
First, make the dough: Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in ¾ cup of the hot water until fully incorporated and the dough begins to form a ball (add a bit more water as needed).
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Then, make the pancakes: Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Take one piece to work with, and cover the rest with plastic wrap.
Roll the piece into a ball and flatten it slightly, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Use your fingers to brush oil lightly over the surface, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup scallions, pressing them gently to make them adhere. Use your palm to roll the circle up from the bottom into a long cylinder. Grab one end and roll it into a snail-like spiral toward the other end, then tuck the end underneath. Flatten slightly with your hand and place back under plastic wrap to rest. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Return to the first piece of dough and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a flat pancake that measures approximately 6 inches wide. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Heat a thin layer of oil in two skillets over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully slide a pancake into each pan and cook, covered, for 1 minute. Flip and cook, covered, for another minute. Remove lid and fry on both sides until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
For the filling:
Ingredients
4 large eggs, fried
Thinly sliced cheddar cheese
Baby spinach or kale
Flavored mayonnaise, such as pesto, Sriracha, or Dijon (optional)
Instructions
Use the scallion pancakes to make two sandwiches with the fried eggs, cheddar cheese, a handful of greens, and a dollop of mayonnaise in each.
