Popular all over the coastal north, these breakfast rolls probably
are most beloved in the port of Tianjin. These offer all sorts of
pleasures, both in terms of flavor and texture. A slight sweetness offsets the
tang of the chili sauce, but these form little more than a gentle background
for the main attractions: a chewy crêpe-like wrapper, a crunchy fried cruller,
a fried egg (see the vegan option below), and a crispy leaf of lettuce.
Perfection — even early in the
morning — can easily be achieved.
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| Ready to roll |
Tianjin breakfast rolls
Jiānbǐng guǒzi 煎餅果子
Tianjin, Beijing, & Hebei
Serves 4
Wrappers:
⅔ cup Chinese or Korean flour (or two-thirds all-purpose plus one-third pastry flour)
⅓ cup mung bean flour
¾ cup cool water, or as needed
Peanut or vegetable oil
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| Wheat & mung bean flours |
The rest:
1 Chinese cruller (youtiao), fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili sauce (page TK)
1 tablespoon sweet wheat paste
½ teaspoon sugar
4 large eggs, optional
1 green onion, finely chopped
4 large leaves lettuce (something crunchy like
romaine is good)
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| Edges curling up |
1. Mix the flours together in a large (1 quart, or
so) measuring cup. Use a whisk to stir in enough cool water—about 1 cup—to form
a thick, pancake-like batter. Let the batter rest while you prepare the rest of
the ingredients.
2. Cut the cruller in half lengthwise and crosswise
so that you have four pieces. Heat it in a 300°F oven (a toaster oven is
perfect) until it is crispy.
3. Heat the sesame oil in a wok and add the chili
sauce, sweet wheat paste, and sugar. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding
whichever more ingredient you want to emphasize. Scrape the sauce into a small
work bowl.
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| Chinese cruller |
4. Set a nonstick flat pan over medium heat. When
the pan is hot, dip a paper towel in some of the oil and wipe it all over the
inside of the pan. Gently stir the batter and pour ¼ of it into the pan (about ⅓ cup batter), swirling
the pan around with the other hand so that the bottom becomes evenly covered.
Adjust the heat as needed to slowly cook the wrapper. As soon as the top is
more or less set and the edges start to curl up, crack an egg on top, use your
spatula to break it up and spread it over the wrapper, sprinkle on ¼ of the
green onions, cover the pan, and continue to slowly cook the wrapper. When the
egg is set, flip it over for a couple of seconds to cook it through, then flip
it back over, and brush ¼ of the sauce over the top. Place a lettuce leaf and
one piece of cruller on top. Remove the wrapper from the pan and roll it up
like a burrito. Serve this one immediately and start to work on the other
three. These can be sliced in half or quarters, if desired.
Tip
An egg is traditionally added to these wrappers, but vegans can omit it. Instead, sprinkle the green onions on the batter before it sets so that they stick to the pancake.
