This is my new “I have nothing in my fridge for dinner” recipe. I can’t believe how easy and authentic this dish is. I’m not a big bell pepper fan so I omitted that off the bat. I always have on hand garlic, eggs, frozen shrimp, sesame oil and a scallion plant going in the yard so this may be my new staple.

I couldn’t wait for dinner last night so I dumped all the ingredients into one large pan instead of making two pancakes. I doubled the cooking time and it turned out perfect.  I also whipped up a tangy dipping sauce to compliment the crisp Asian pancake.  

Shrimp and Scallion Pancakes

2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 bunch scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts discarded
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and chopped
1/4 canola oil

sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Whisk together the garlic, salt, water, eggs, and sesame oil in a large bowl or extra large measuring cup. Add the flour, and whisk until it forms a smooth batter. Fold in the scallions, bell pepper, and shrimp.

Pour half of the canola oil into a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, pour in half of the batter. Use a spatula to spread the batter out evenly across the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Drain the pancake on some paper towel and repeat process with the rest of the oil and batter.

sauce:
Mix 2 tablespoons water, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce is reduced and syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve along with the pancakes.

Adapted from Epicurious