Stormlight Pancakes: Asparagus & Gochujang
Greetings food adventurers! Today we are visiting the city of Yeddaw on Roshar. Yeddaw is known for pancakes that are eaten during The Weeping (an annual four-week period with constant rain but no highstorms). There are ten types of pancakes – nine are actually pancakes, and the tenth is more of a meditation about pancakes. Some are sweet, some are savory. These are all called Sun Day pancakes. The first of these pancakes we come across is a “salty pancake with chopped up vegetables” (as described by Lift in Edgedancer), featuring an asparagus-like vegetable, something very similar to gochujang chile paste, and a salty dipping sauce.
Yeddaw is in the small country of Tashik. The city is composed of a huge number of trenches that were carved into the deep stone using powerful Shardblades. These trenches are built up with buildings along the stone walls where people live and shop. Farming is done on the tops of the trenches where the sun can reach. The Weeping has just begun when we arrive in Yeddaw, so we have plenty of time to wander around and seek out all nine types of pancakes. This is basically a new year’s celebration, and will bring good luck for the new year if we can eat them all.
These have a dense, chewy texture due to the rice flour – don’t expect fluffy American pancakes with this one. The dipping sauce is extremely salty, so consider it similar to dipping sushi in soy sauce. Do not be tempted to pour it over the pancake (this ruins the pancake).
Recipe adapted from Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage and inspired by Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson.
Stormlight Pancakes: Asparagus & Gochujang
Special Equipment
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- ½ red chile (such as a Thai chile) seeded and finely chopped
Pancakes:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
- Salt as needed
- ½ large egg lightly beaten (beat the whole egg then measure half by weight)
- 10 ½ Tbsp cold water (1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 Tbsp)
- 2 ¼ tsp gochujang paste
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro plus more to serve
- ¼ red chile (such as a Thai chili) seeded and finely chopped
- 7 oz fresh asparagus
- 2 oz fresh scallions (3 or 4 scallions)
- oil for cooking pancakes
Instructions
Prep work:
- Toast the sesame seeds by putting them in a dry pan on medium heat just until they start looking a bit golden and smell nice. Remove from heat immediately and let cool before doing the next step.
- Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame seeds, vinegar, garlic, and chile until well combined. Set aside.
- Prep asparagus: trim off and discard the woody ends. Cut spears into 2" pieces, then cut each one in half lengthwise except the tips.
- Prep scallions: roughly chop into large-ish pieces, both the white and green parts.
- Prep cilantro: finely chop.
Make batter:
- Put rice flour, all-purpose flour, and 1/2 tsp table salt into a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- Put HALF an egg into a separate medium bowl. (lightly beat a whole egg then use a kitchen scale to figure out what half of it is). (The other half egg is not used in this recipe and can be set aside for something else)
- Add to the bowl with the half egg: water, gochujang paste, cilantro, and chile. Stir until well mixed.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, slowly pour in the wet ingredients, and stir until just smooth; don’t overmix. It will be a little bit lumpy, like regular pancake batter.
Cook Pancakes:
- Add 1 Tbsp oil to a 7-inch nonstick pan on medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add HALF of the asparagus and a tiny pinch of salt and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes, turning the asparagus over a few times, or until beginning to soften and color.
- Add HALF of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Pour in about half of the pancake batter, spreading it to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook for 3 minutes before flipping and cooking for 3 to 4 more minutes, or until crispy and golden. Transfer to a plate and follow the same instructions to make the second pancake. (or make four smaller pancakes instead of two large ones)
- Divide the pancakes among two plates, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, and serve with the sauce alongside in a dipping bowl. (NOTE: Do not pour the sauce over the pancakes!)
