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SCALLION BASICS
Buying: Scallions grow year-round and are easily sourced from farmers markets and grocery stores. Seek scallions with bright-green leaves and clean, white root ends. Store them for about a week in the refrigerator.
Cooking: Scallions pack a nice punch in stir-fries, soups and salads. They also achieve a lovely oniony sweetness when grilled whole. The green ends are best for raw garnish, while the white bulb can withstand some heat.
THE ALLIUM FAMILY
A member of the same family as leeks, garlic and shallots, scallions are a type of bunching onion that doesn’t form a large bulb. Also known as green onions, they tend to take a more supporting role.
AROUND RVA
Nate’s Bagels: A proper schmear doesn’t need much, but rings of garlicky scallion are the ideal additions to Nate’s house-made cream cheese.
Full Kee: Strings of thinly sliced scallions provide an essential contrast to the lacquered meat and sweet hoisin sauce of Full Kee’s Peking duck.
Peter Chang: A pillow of crispy perfection served with a curry dipping sauce, there’s no mistaking the scallion bubble pancake when it floats through the dining room.
“The scallion, like a well-balanced team, can be the star or the extra oomph to complement a dish.” —Vanna Hem, co-owner of Royal Pig
COOK LIKE A LOCAL
(From left) Royal Pig co-owners Adam Stull and Vanna Hem (Photo by Kate Thompson)
Scallion Dumplings
By Vanna Hem and Adam Stull, co-owners of Royal Pig
Owners of the Cambodian pop-up turned Hatch Local food hall vendor Royal Pig, Vanna Hem and Adam Stull appreciate the integral role scallions play in Cambodian cuisine. “Scallions add depth of flavor and enrich any dish,” Hem says. The duo credit scallions for a pop of umami, noting that the herb’s tangy flavor shines through in the chicken filling for their dumplings.
Dough
2 1/2 cups wheat starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Combine and stir all dry ingredients. Stir in all liquid ingredients. Knead dough. Adjust with more wheat starch if the dough is too sticky. Section the dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a long tube and cut into 2-inch sections. Flatten each section. Roll with rolling pin until it forms a 4-inch circle.
Filling
1 pound scallions, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 whole bulbs minced garlic
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
In a small stockpot, heat the oil. Add garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant. Add scallions and cook until they have softened and reduced in size by a quarter. Add chicken powder, soy sauce and black pepper. Remove from stove and allow to cool enough to touch.
Dumplings
Make a pocket in the center of the dumpling skin. Add two tablespoons of filling. Bring dough around filling and pinch edges shut. Flatten dumpling out a bit; it should be about a 3-inch disk shape. Steam dumplings for eight minutes. Pan fry in two tablespoons canola oil until golden brown on each side.
