On weekend mornings, few things are as comforting as waking up and enjoying a leisurely, homemade breakfast. As relaxing as such meals can be, they can also be just as relaxing at dinner time. Pancakes, for instance, will always be synonymous with breakfast, but that hasn't stopped pancake afficionados from enjoying their favorite flapjacks at dinner.
In addition to their versatility as to when they can be eaten, pancakes can also include a host of different ingredients, such as the following recipe for 'Egg, Shrimp and Scallion Pancakes' from Andrea Nguyen's 'Into the Vietnamese Kitchen' (Ten Speed Press).
Egg, Shrimp and Scallion Pancakes
Serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled 5 eggs, beaten 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped Salt Canola or other neutral oil for frying Fish sauce or light (regular) soy sauce for serving 1. Refresh the shrimp by putting them in a colander and tossing them with a liberal amount of salt. Rinse immediately under cold water and press gently to drain well. Put the shrimp in a bowl, add the eggs and scallions, and mix well.
2. Put enough oil into a large nonstick skillet to coat the bottom thinly. Place over medium heat and heat until a drop of egg immediately sizzles and bubbles upon contact with the oil. To make each pancake, ladle about 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture into the skillet, making sure that a few shrimp are included in each portion, and then quickly nudge the shrimp in each pool of egg so they don't overlap. Fry only as many pancakes at once as will fit without crowding, about 3 pancakes at a time in a 12inch skillet. Don't worry about the shape each one takes, as they are meant to be free-form. When the edges of a pancake are set and lightly browned, after about 2 minutes, use a spatula to turn it carefully. (If the pancakes have stuck together, use the spatula to separate them before flipping.) Fry for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until browned on the second side. Transfer the finished pancakes to a plate and keep warm while you fry the rest.
3. Arrange the pancakes in 2 plates or a platter and serve with the fish sauce for dipping.
