Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce

In my continuing quest to use up all the zucchini that comes my way, here’s a recipe I first made during last year’s zucchini season: zucchini scallion pancakes with a spicy and sweet soy dipping sauce.

Like zucchini tots, these pancakes are a great way to disguise zucchini. I served them alongside hoisin chicken with Napa cabbage (based on this hoisin pork recipe) and sweet and spicy sautéed kale stems. That’s right, stems.

I hate wasting food. It’s fun to find ways to use up every part of everything in the refrigerator. I about freaked out when Jim once cut off turnip greens and threw them on the compost pile – has he learned nothing from me?!?! He won’t do that again. But kale stems always seemed beyond hope – too tough and woody. I should have known I could sauté them long and slow.

Rice vinegar is a staple of my pantry. You see it in many Asian recipes, but I also use it as a substitute for other vinegars in slaw and salad recipes too, or whenever I want a softer vinegar flavor. If you come across a recipe calling for champagne vinegar, don’t bother adding yet another vinegar to your pantry, just use rice vinegar instead.

These pancakes have only made their appearance on our table as a side, but I imagine they would make a good breakfast too.

Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce

You’ll need a small bowl, small ramekins, medium bowl and large, non-stick skillet.

Soy Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other Asian chili sauce or paste

Zucchini Scallion Pancakes

• 2 cups grated zucchini, squeezed dry in a paper or dish towel
• 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Whisk together the ingredients for the soy dipping sauce. Put into individual ramekins for dipping.

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini with scallions, flour, egg, salt and pepper.

Heat the skillet over medium to medium-high heat (depending on the pancake temperament of your stove) and add canola oil once the pan is hot. Let oil heat up, then plop down about two tablespoons of the pancake mixture for each pancake and spread each one out to form a circle.

Flip the pancake once it has browned on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes, and cook for an additional minute or two on the other side. Continue until all of the pancake mixture is gone. Serve with the soy dipping sauce.

Original recipe, Zucchini Scallion Pancakes with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce, The Lemon Bowl

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