Here's a quick and easy Chinese sauce that's simply fabulous. It's found in many places in Hong Kong but mostly at the siu mei shops 燒味鋪 that sell those delectable barbeque Chinese meats. An order of 'white cut chicken 白切雞' or 'soy sauce chicken 豉油雞' comes with a generous side of this Ginger Scallion Sauce 薑蔥醬, also known as Ginger Spring Onion Sauce, an aromatic oil sauce intensely infused as well as packed with scallion and ginger.
For this sauce the scallion is infused directly into the oil as well as densely packed into it creating an awesome flavour punch.
The other flavour player in this sauce is fresh ginger 薑, another essential to Chinese cooking. Ginger is used to infuse the stir fry oil when frying fish or seafood. A few slices are added when steaming seafood. Its sweet, peppery, slightly citrusy aroma cancels any hint of 'fishiness' and provides a subtle under layer of flavour.
For this sauce fresh ginger is first grated and then the juice is squeezed out. This juice could be reserved to be used in place of fresh ginger slices as you cook.
The squeezed ginger is further dried by pan frying over low heat. This drying of the ginger helps to tone down the pepperiness of the ginger and to balance it with the lighter aromas of the scallion.
The scallions are washed and sliced into a large mound of rounds.
Once the ginger is dry the oil is added in. As the oil heats up aromas will start to fill the air. Once the oil is nice and hot the chopped scallions are added in all at once and the pot removed from the heat. Stir, stir, stir, mix everything together, dash of salt and it's done!
Be sure to get the scallions in all at once and remove from the heat after that. You don't want to over cook them. A brief kiss of heat is all they need to infuse the oil and turn a lovely bright green.
A fresh green jar of yummiliciousness! Once cooled your homemade Ginger Scallion Sauce can be poured into a jar and stored in the fridge for about a week. Use on top of simply prepared meats like our Pan Fried Chicken (see recipe below) as a delicious sauce, scoop some onto plain rice for a delicious treat, or even top a sunny side up egg with an aromatic dollop.
There are endless ways to be creative with this gorgeous Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce 薑蔥醬!
Ginger Scallion Sauce Recipe 薑蔥醬
(makes 1 no. 8 oz / 250ml jar) Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 2 mins
Ingredients:
- 9 stalks scallion
- 2 inch length fresh ginger
- 1 cup cold pressed peanut oil
- 1 tsp salt
Directions:
Wash scallions and cut off the roots. Slice scallions to rounds.
Wash and peel skin off ginger. Finely grate ginger. Squeeze juice out of grated ginger, saving the ginger juice for cooking if you like. In a small pan dry cook the squeezed ginger over low heat until very dry.
Add oil to pot, increase heat to medium and let cook until the oil is simmering and fragrant.
Add in the scallions all at once and turn the heat off immediately and stir, stir, stir until the oil and spring onions are completely mixed. Add in salt and stir, taste, add more salt if necessary and it's ready to use.
If not using immediately let cool and pour into a sterilized jar and store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!
Pan Fried Chicken w/ Ginger Scallion Sauce
Directions:
To brine the chicken first mix salt with hot water until salt completely dissolves. Add to cooled water and let all the water cool to room temperature. Add in chicken breasts, making sure chicken is submerged and let brine covered in fridge for 30 mins.
Remove from brine and dry with paper towels as much as possible (the dryer the crisper the skin). Add oil to a hot pan, then add chicken breasts, skin side down and let fry over low heat until skin is golden brown and crisped, about 4-5 mins. Flip over and cook until golden brown, about another 4-5 mins. Slice to 3/4 inch slices.
Scoop rice onto dinner plate. Drizzle a bit of soy sauce over rice. Place crisped sliced chicken over the rice. Add two scoops of Ginger Scallion Sauce over the chicken. Ready to eat! Enjoy!
Sublime Sauces at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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