Jian Bing

Ingredients

Crepe batter

• 100 g mung-bean flour (or substitute chickpea flour / besan)
• 50 g millet flour (or substitute cornmeal / fine polenta)
• 80 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for colour)
• 500 ml cold water (more if needed)

Per crepe

• 1 egg (large)
• 2 teaspoons toasted black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion (green and white parts)
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1 teaspoon Chinese sweet bean sauce (tian mian jiang, sold at Chinese shops; or hoisin sauce + 1 teaspoon soy)
• 1 teaspoon chilli sauce (Lao Gan Ma or any Chinese chilli paste)
• 1 sheet crisp fried wonton (about 12 cm square - see Stage 2) OR a piece of churro-like fried Chinese doughstick (you-tiao)

For frying the wonton sheets

• 4 wonton wrappers (12 cm square - sold at Asian shops, the thin yellow kind)
• 300 ml sunflower oil
• A pinch of salt

For greasing the griddle

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method

Stage 1 - Batter

1. In a wide bowl, whisk all the flours, salt, five-spice and turmeric.
2. Slowly pour in the cold water, whisking smoothly, to a thin lump-free batter like single cream.
3. Rest 1 hour at room temperature (or refrigerate overnight).
4. Stir before using; thin with extra water if it's thickened.

Stage 2 - Fry the wonton sheets

1. Heat 300 ml sunflower oil in a deep frying pan to 180°C.
2. Lower a wonton wrapper into the oil; it puffs and crisps in 8-10 seconds.
3. Flip with chopsticks; cook 5 more seconds.
4. Lift onto kitchen paper; sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt.
5. Repeat for all 4. Reserve.

Stage 3 - Heat the griddle

1. Heat a large flat non-stick frying pan (28 cm+) or a flat griddle over medium-high.
2. Brush very lightly with oil.

Stage 4 - First crepe - cook the bottom

1. Ladle about 150 ml of batter onto the centre of the hot pan.
2. Immediately tilt and rotate the pan to spread the batter into a thin disc that covers the entire base (or use a wooden disc-rake to spread it).
3. Cook 60-90 seconds - the surface should look dry, the edges starting to curl.

Stage 5 - Egg

1. Crack an egg onto the centre of the crepe.
2. Use a spatula to spread the egg over the entire surface of the crepe.
3. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds, spring onion and coriander while the egg is still wet.

Stage 6 - Flip

1. Slide a spatula under the crepe; flip carefully.
2. Cook the egg-side for 30 seconds.

Stage 7 - Paint with sauces

1. Brush the cooked (now-on-top, originally-bottom) side of the crepe with sweet bean sauce.
2. Drizzle chilli sauce on top.

Stage 8 - Top

1. Place a fried wonton sheet on the centre of the crepe.

Stage 9 - Fold

1. Fold the crepe over the wonton from the left side toward the centre.
2. Fold from the right side.
3. Fold the top down and the bottom up - into a square parcel.
4. (Some Beijing-cart sellers fold it into quarters instead, into a single triangle.)

Stage 10 - Serve

1. Lift onto a piece of paper or a plate.
2. Eat immediately, warm, with your hands.