Asparagus, scallion and sesame pancakes

This delicious Asian-inspired dish makes good use of asparagus and spring onions—both appearing in local farmer’s markets this week. It’s light, but hearty enough to make and serve as a main course. The recipe is courtesy of Edible Communities.

Makes about 8 pancakes

• 12 asparagus spears
• 6 scallions
• ¼ cup sesame seeds*
• 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled 
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1½ cups water
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1¼ cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• About 1/8 cup vegetable oil

Break the tough ends off from the asparagus spears, then plunge spears into boiling water for about 1½ minutes, or just until tender crisp. Refresh in cold water, then drain. Remove the tips and set aside; chop the remaining stalks into very small pieces. Slice the scallions very thinly.

In a shallow pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds until fragrant. (*We like the black ones for their contrast.)
With the food processor running, drop the ginger and shallots through the feed tube to mince. Add water and blend.

In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the ginger-shallot water and 1 tsp of sesame oil, blending well. In a small bowl, combine the flour with salt, sugar, and baking powder.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid, mixing well between additions to prevent lumps. When all the flour has been incorporated, stir in the remaining 1 tsp sesame oil. Add the chopped asparagus and scallion pieces (but keep the asparagus tips aside). Stir the mixture well.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to coat the bottom and heat over medium-high. When hot, ladle in about 1/3 cup of the pancake mixture. Tilt the pan to create a thin pancake, about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and garnish with 1 or 2 asparagus tips. Cook until golden brown on that side, then flip to cook the other side. Repeat until all the batter has been used up, keeping the pancakes warm in a low oven.

Serve plain, or with mayonnaise and/or okonomiyaki sauce (found at Japanese specialty food stores).