How many ways can you use up a bunch of spring onions?

Spring onions, green onions, scallions....call it by any name and it's more or less the same thing.  I've used these names interchangeably though they supposedly have some slight differences in terms of looks, texture and taste.  In western cooking, some discard the green tops but in Asian cooking, we use both the white and green parts.  It's more widely used in Asian cooking (especially Chinese) compared to western cuisine.

For some, the holy trinity of aromatics for Chinese cooking is none other than garlic, ginger and spring onions (that's according to Gok Wan) and, for others, the trio could be garlic, ginger and chillies (if you ask Ching-He Huang).  Some might even include shallots in the mix.  So, how important are spring onions in dishes?  Very important...at least to me.  I like the onion-y flavour it brings (but without the intensity of regular onions) and the lift of freshness it gives to any dish.

#1 - Steamed Fish

The best dish to start off this series is with steamed fish.  You're most likely to find spring onions (usually mixed with Chinese parsley or yin sai) in any steamed fish dish.  In a restaurant-quality dish, I'll be the first in line to eat those finely shredded spring onions...not a sliver will go to waste.

Sometimes, if I'm hardworking enough, I'd try to replicate that at home though my knife skills aren't as good.  Just cut them into very fine shreds, drop them into a bowl of icy cold water and they'll curl up beautifully.  Eating a chunk of fish dipped in soy with a few lengths of spring onions is a combination so perfect it's hard to describe.

#2 - Fish Slices with Ginger & Spring Onion

This widely popular dish of keong (ginger) choong (spring onions) yue pin (fish slices) can be found on most restaurant menus and tai chow places.  For my family who doesn't like fish all that much, this is a fish dish they'll gladly eat coz there are no bones to contend with...and I'll be more than happy to eat up all the spring onions and most of the ginger slices.

#3 - Beef Hor Fun with Ginger & Spring Onion

Similarly, if you love stir-fried beef with spring onions and ginger, then you'll also love a dish of beef hor fun with ginger and spring onions obviously.  This one with super tender beef slices, charred kway teow and that all important spring onions in a delicious egg gravy...yums.  The thick white stems are what I like most.

#4 - Claypot Chicken Rice

Now claypot chicken rice is one dish that I think can't do without spring onions (and you can't stinge on the amount either).  Why, you ask?  Well, I think because it's such a meaty dish (with no vegetables in sight), spring onions are very much needed to give it that lift of freshness.  You might think it's just a garnish...but stir that into the rice and it makes a whole lot of difference.  I've even heard customers asking to tambah (add) more spring onions to their claypot chicken rice.  Plus, we can't deny the aesthetics the green sprinkling brings to an otherwise darkly coloured rice dish! ;)

#5 - Claypot Pork Belly with Salted Fish

Similarly, you'll find spring onions in a dish of ham yue fah lam poh featuring thin slices of pork belly with salted fish and dried chillies (hmmm, this one obviously does not have enough spring onions)! >_<  The robust, salty and slightly spicy flavours goes very well with rice.

#6 - Kung Pao Chicken

Another dish that works just as well with spring onions is a dish of kung pao chicken with cashew nuts, dried chillies and spring onions.  That bit of caramelised sauce sticking to the scallions make them so much tastier.  No scallion will be left behind...I would find and eat every last piece! ;)

#7 - Dark Soy Sauce Prawns

When I cook dark soy sauce prawns at home, the must-have ingredient for me is spring onions, the other being shallots.  These two are very good friends with prawns.  Tossing in the spring onions at the last minute adds flavour to the dish besides being visually appealing against the dark prawns.  

#8 - (Taiwanese) Scallion Pancake


My first taste of a Taiwanese scallion pancake was the one I tried at Liang Sandwich Bar (which looks somewhat similar to our roti canai).  The aroma and onion-y flavour that the scallions imparted into the pancake was rather nice (though the scallions were pretty scarce).

#9 - (Korean) Scallion Pancake (Pajeon)


From a Taiwanese scallion pancake, we move on to a Korean scallion pancake which we like to order at Korean restaurants.  This pancake is done predominantly with scallions as the main ingredient together with a mixture of flour and eggs (again, more scallions please!).  You can make variations of it by adding other ingredients like prawns, beef, pork, kimchi, shellfish or other seafood.

#10 - Roast Duck Pancake

Besides the typical Taiwanese and Korean pancakes, the Chinese likes to make a roast duck pancake out of thin shavings of roast duck skin skillfully carved from a duck and wrapped together with condiments of hoisin sauce and scallions.

We even found a version of roast duck crepes at a dim sum restaurant with julienned cucumber and scallions.

#11 - (Japanese) Ramen Noodles


And in a bowl of Japanese ramen, you can't deny the importance of the Japanese green onions as a condiment...and they usually put a lot to add freshness to the rich soup.  Some would even provide it at tableside for you to add more if you need more.


Sometimes only the white parts of the green onions are used.  Either way, it's greatly needed to help cut through the robustly flavoured broth.

#12 - Fried Rice

I don't know about other people but I need chopped spring onions in my fried rice (be it the common yang chow chao fan or the simple egg fried rice) I order from a restaurant.  I'd even judge a restaurant's fried rice if it comes sans spring onions. >.<

Somehow, the spring onions just lift the taste of the fried rice to the extent that I can even forego putting in any vegetables like french beans, carrots, corn or (heaven forbid) peas...but I cannot not have spring onions in my home-cooked fried rice.

You'd even find it in a plate of fried sticky (glutinous) rice sometimes.

#13 - Fried Eggs


A dish of Chinese egg omelette or foo yong tan will have spring onions as one of its ingredients along with big onions, red chillies (sometimes cabbage too) and maybe even a protein like prawns or lap cheong.

#14 - Scallion Sauce

You might get this scallion sauce (some versions have ginger in it as well) served at some roast meat rice stalls though it's not very common.  My mom makes this dipping sauce to serve with poached chicken.  You just pour some hot oil over chopped spring onions (that has been seasoned with a little salt) with (or without) finely minced/blitzed ginger.


At times, you also find it served in a Japanese restaurant as a dipping sauce (for fried items) together with Japanese soy and probably a little vinegar.

#15 - Meat Patties & Meatballs

Chopped spring onions in meat patties or meatballs to the Chinese is like what chopped parsley is to a western-type meatball.   I like how the spring onions studded in the meat mix get charred in the process of frying to give it added flavour.

#16 - Wantan & Sui Kow Fillings

Similarly, spring onions are needed in the filling of wantans......
 

....and sui kow (dumplings) although there are some who would add coriander or chives in the filling which makes them even more fragrant in taste.

#17 - Sprinkling on top of just about anything

Finally, everything tastes just a little bit better with a sprinkling of spring onions.  I have to say some places can be rather kedekut (stingy) with the sprinkling.  In such cases, you can always BYO (Bring Your Own).  I know of someone who does....hehe! :D

#17.1 - On Dry Noodles

#17.2 - In Soup Noodles

#17.3 - On Meat



#17.4 - On Steamed Eggs

#17.5 - On Tofu


whether it's fried.....


steamed.....


.....or hot plate.

#17.6 - On Vegetables

#17.7 - In Porridge

#17.8 - In Soups

#17.9 - On Steamed Chee Cheong Fun

#17.10 - In Dim Sum

#17.11 - Even on Jacket Potatoes

Well, what can I say, it gets sprinkled on just about anything.  You can even char them in the oven and eat them as a side vegetable to your main.

There's only one way I don't like to eat scallions...and that's when they're raw.  They have too strong an onion-y flavour when raw.  Although we might put in raw spring onions in some dishes, there's always that light kiss of heat that cooks it ever so slightly (be it a sauce or some hot liquid/oil) when we mix it in to take the edge off its raw taste.

There are people who simply can't stand spring onions in their food.  They would ask it to be omitted in any food they eat and, if it came with it, they'd even pick it out one by one from their noodles...no matter how long it took (I've seen a friend of mine do the exact same thing)! >_<  Does it have that much of flavour to ruin the dish that it needs to be taken out...painstakingly one by one?  Only scallion-haters can answer that.

Spring onions is something you either love or loathe!  So, which one are you?  I'm a scallion-lover myself...love it to bits...love it on just about anything.  They're most welcome in my food especially if it's over something hot like soups, soup noodles or porridge.....let it rain spring onions, I say!  There's never too much spring onions in a dish for me.....only too little! ^o^