Vietnamese Scallion Oil | Mỡ Hành
You can also call this "Green Onion Oil" so people know what vegetable you’re featuring. Scallion are just green onions with a fanciful name. Makes about ½ cup (120ml), depending on how much oil and how you season it.
Ingredients
- 60 g | 1 cup chopped green onions, greens and whites
- 1 ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or ginger (optional)
- Small pinch baking soda (optional)
- Fine sea salt
- 2 to 4 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola, peanut, or grapeseed (use maximum when omitting non-neutral oil)
- 1 ½ teaspoon non-neutral oil, such as toasted sesame or peanut oil
- Water
- Fish sauce or soy sauce
Instructions
- To make in the microwave: In a small, microwave-safe bowl, stir together the green onions, 1 pinch baking soda, and 2 big pinches of salt. Mix as much neutral oil as you like (the more, the richer!); then, add the non-neutral oil. Microwave on high power until the green onions soften and the mixture is bubbly, steamy and fragrant, 1 minute. Stir the mixture to combine well and finish softening and flattening the green onion.
- To make on the stove: In a small bowl, combine the green onions, garlic, 1 pinch soda, and 2 big pinches of salt. Pour the neutral oil into a small (1-quart | .25L) saucepan; use the maximum for richer flavor. Add the non-neutral oil. Heat over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a green onion piece upon contact (drop one in to test). Dump in the green onion mixture and stir to expose it to the hot oil. Let things sizzle and once the solids have collapsed, pull the pan from the heat.
- Finish with little tweaks: Regardless of how you made the scallion oil, stir in water by the 1 teaspoon to loosen, then taste. If you want a little extra savory oomph and depending on what you are serving with, season with extra salt, fish sauce or soy sauce.
- How you finish the scallion oil depends on the dish you’re making. If it’s a garnish and if there’s a different sauce being served, keep the mixture texturally tight and mildly flavorful. If the scallion oil will be more of a dressing for grilled veggies, make it loose and salty. In total, you can add up to 1 tablespoon water and up to 1 ½ tablespoon of fish or soy sauce.
Notes
Variations: To add other aromatics, combine the scallion with 1 ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or ginger. You’ll have scallion-garlic oil or scallion-ginger oil!
