Oliver Hayes
A Crepe That Belongs to the Morning Rush
Walk down any street in a Chinese city before eight in the morning and you will find them: a queue of people in coats, a hot griddle the size of a bicycle wheel, and a folded parcel of egg, herbs and sauce handed over in paper. Jianbing is the Chinese breakfast crepe, and it is one of the most satisfying things you can make in a British kitchen on a weekday. It is quick once you have practised the spread, it uses ordinary flour, and it eats perfectly with one hand on the walk to the station.
In British Chinese households it sits in a particular place. It is not really restaurant food and it is not quite the Sunday banquet fare either. It is what you make when you want something hot, savoury and immediate, using whatever is in the fridge. That flexibility is exactly why it fits so well here.
The Batter: Two Flours and a Rest
The batter is thinner than a Western pancake batter and slightly more elastic, which is what lets you spread it wafer-thin. A reliable starting point for three or four crepes:
- 100g plain flour
- 40g mung bean flour or cornflour, for that faintly chewy, nutty edge
- 300ml cold water, plus a splash more if needed
- A good pinch of salt
Whisk to a smooth, single-cream consistency, then leave it covered for half an hour. This rest is not optional fussiness. It lets the flour hydrate properly, so the batter spreads without tearing and the finished crepe has a little bite rather than a raw floury taste. If you are short of time, fifteen minutes will do. If the batter thickens while standing, loosen it with water a tablespoon at a time. It should ribbon off the whisk, not dollop.
Spreading, Egg and Herbs
Get your pan properly hot. A flat non-stick pan around 24cm is ideal, and a crepe pan is even better. Wipe it with a little oil using kitchen paper, then ladle in about a quarter of the batter. Working fast, spread it outwards in a spiral with the back of a ladle or a flat spatula, pushing the batter to the edges. The aim is a crepe thin enough to see the pan through. Do not worry if the first one has holes; the egg will patch it.
Crack an egg straight onto the crepe and spread it over the surface with the same tool, right to the rim. Scatter over chopped spring onion, fresh coriander and, if you like, a pinch of toasted sesame seeds. Let the egg set for thirty seconds or so. The herbs should go on now, while the egg is wet, so they stick rather than fall out when you fold.
The Sauce Is the Whole Point
A jianbing lives or dies by its sauces, and this is where a British kitchen can improvise confidently. The classic base is sweet bean sauce, sometimes cut with a little hoisin, a dab of fermented bean curd, or chilli oil to taste. If you do not have those to hand, a mixture of hoisin, a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of sesame oil gets you very close.
Brush it on thinly across the whole crepe. You want flavour in every bite, not a puddle in the middle. Then add the crunch: a fried cracker, a piece of fried dough stick, or, in a very British compromise that works beautifully, a couple of crisp fried wonton wrappers or a small handful of plain prawn crackers crushed over the top. Lettuce, pickled mustard greens or a few slices of cucumber add freshness and stop the whole thing feeling heavy.
Folding for the Walk to the Station
Once the fillings are in, fold the crepe in half, then in half again, or roll it loosely into a cylinder and fold the base up so nothing leaks. Press gently with the spatula for a few seconds on each side so the layers seal. Slide it onto a square of baking parchment or greaseproof paper, wrap it tightly, and twist the bottom. It will stay warm for ten minutes and it will not disintegrate in your coat pocket.
This is the part that connects jianbing to British takeaway culture so neatly. Fish and chips, a bacon roll, a bag of chips on the way home: we already understand food designed to be eaten standing up. Jianbing belongs in that company, and it is considerably better for you than most of it.
What to Do When It Goes Wrong
The usual problem is a torn crepe, which almost always means the pan was not hot enough or the batter was too thick. Heat the pan longer, thin the batter, and try again. If the crepe sticks, your pan needs another wipe of oil rather than more batter.
For a make-ahead version, mix the dry ingredients the night before and add water in the morning. Cooked crepes can be stacked with baking parchment between them and reheated in a dry pan for twenty seconds. The sauce can be mixed in a jar and kept in the fridge for a fortnight. Do that, and a proper Chinese breakfast takes less time than waiting for a kettle to boil.
