If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably noticed that the flavours of green onions are in pretty much in every dish. And there are certain dishes that you can’t help but try to recreate at home. But have you ever wondered why you can never perfectly recreate the flavour of certain dishes–even when you’ve completely lost count of how many bouquets of green onions you’ve added? The secret is in the oil. Scallion oil.

You could call scallion oil a culinary secret weapon when it comes to Chinese cuisine, but it’s actually really simple. It’s essentially oil infused with green onions. But unlike herb-infused oils, scallion oil is achieved by cooking green onions and shallots in the oil. The end product is a powerful and aromatic cooking oil that is versatile and perfect for dishes ranging from stir-fries, salads, vegetable roasts, to even just tossing a cold noodle dish.

How to make scallion oil at home.

What you need:

1 cup grapeseed oil (or other neutral vegetable oil with a high smoke point)

1 onion or 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced

2 bundles fresh green onions, chopped into 2-inch lengths

How to prepare:

1. Add oil into a large pan then place the ingredients on top over medium heat with green onions on one side and shallots on the other.
2. Once the oil begins to boil, submerge the green onions and shallots to allow even coating of oil then turn down to medium-low heat.
3. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until the shallots turn golden and then green onions turn dark brown. Be sure to turn the ingredients over at around 20-30 minutes to ensure even cooking.
4. Once cooked, transfer the oil into a bowl through a fine mesh. Press down on the shallots and green onions to drain out as much oil as possible. Set the cooked ingredients aside for another dish or use as garnish.
5. Allow the oil to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three months.

Have you ever tried infusing an oil by cooking the ingredients? Share with us any tips or tricks!