Who else likes breakfast for dinner? Growing up in Taiwan, a lot of times, we would go out for breakfast on weekends and busy mornings. Taiwanese breakfast joints are not like the swanky brunch places where you’d have a glass of mimosa. On the contrary, they are often hole-in-the-wall places where you run in, devour your food in less than 5 minutes, and hop on your moped and be on your way.
I absolutely love all Taiwanese breakfast choices, but the one that I love the most is called dan bing 蛋餅, which roughly translates to egg-pastry. The closest thing that resembles a dan bing is probably the crêpe, although dan bing has a little bit more chewiness in the batter. The process for making dan bing is also very similar to a crêpe as well. The batter is very liquidy, and you pour it on a skillet and then top with the toppings. In this case, the toppings is an egg mixture that resembles an omelette. This comes together so quickly that I find myself making this as emergency meals.
Taiwanese Breakfast Crêpes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 large eggs
- 3 stalks scallions, thinly chopped
- Oil for cooking
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, water, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, scallions, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat a tsp of oil over medium heat. Pour about 1/2 cup of crêpe batter and swirl on the skillet until it coats the bottom of the skillet in a thin layer. When the tops look set, gently flip the crêpe over. Pour 1/4 cup of egg mixture on top of the crêpe and swirl the pan to coat the egg mixture all over the base. When the egg mixture has adhered, flip the whole thing over and cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until the egg is cooked through.
- Roll up the crêpe and repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle with soy paste and top with scallions to garnish, if desired.
Recipe notes:
- Soy paste is a type of soy sauce that is thicker, less salty, and quite sweet. You should be able to find it in your Asian grocery aisle. If you don’t have it, soy sauce is a fine substitute, just use it sparingly.
