Scallions

 

Scallions (also known as green onions or spring onions) are a very common ingredient in Asian cooking. It has a very mild but bright onion flavor that complements most Asian dishes very well. 

 

Scallions can but cut into larger pieces (approximately 1 inch long) to be featured as an ingredient in recipes like Asian Stir-Fried Clams and Kung Pao Shrimp. When cooking scallions in a dish, add them at the very last minute just before transferring the dish to the serving plate. Most of the time, I even turn off the heat before adding the scallions. This will keep the scallions fresh and crisp instead of mushy. 

 

When not used as an ingredient in a recipe, raw scallions are often chopped and used as a garnish. Some examples include Mapo Eggplant and Egg Drop Soup. Sprinkle the chopped scallions on to the dish just before serving. This adds color as well as flavor to a dish. When chopping scallions, you can either cut them straight vertically or at a slight angle (see photo below).

 

Got a new wok? Scallions are an excellent ingredient for seasoning your new wok!