The Hirshon Cantonese Green Onion Oil -蔥油

Green Onion Oil Image Used Under Creative Commons License From icook.tw

Citizens, this is a recipe for an extremely tasty condiment served in both Chinese restaurants and homes for enhancing dishes such as salt-baked chicken, roast fowl, steamed rice, etc.

As noted by the erudite W.K. Leung on egullet.org:

This dip is typically called, with the lack of any creative terms, 蔥油 “Chung Yau” in Cantonese. Literally it means Green Onion Oil. I am not sure why the ginger is not mentioned, though it is 60% to 80% of the ingredient. It is a very common condiment accompanying the “white cut chicken”. Typically they make it with chopped green onion, grated ginger and salt only.

Over the years, I found that adding some “Sa Geung” (Sandy Ginger powder) and sugar would enhance the taste tremendously. Even when ordering Soy Sauce Chicken, sometimes the waiters would bring this green onion and ginger condiment with it. If you don’t make Salt Baked Chicken, just make some of this condiment and eat it with rice. It tastes wonderful.

It’s delicious – try it and see! 🙂

Citizens, my recipe is very closely based on his fantastic version – among other changes, I specify a bit of chicken fat for extra flavor! This is a fantastic condiment, both easy-to-make and delicious!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Cantonese Green Onion Oil -蔥油

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Prep Time: 0 hours
Cook Time: 0 hours
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Scale

Ingredients

4 stalks of green onions
1 large piece of peeled, fresh ginger (about 4 inches in length)
½ pack of Spicy Bake Mix – this is a dry ginger powder made from a special species of ginger. In Cantonese, it is called “Sa Geung” (or literally means “Sand Ginger”). You can easily find it in most Asian grocery markets. They may be translated as “Spicy Bake Mix”. “Sa Geung” has a very characteristic taste and smell.
2 ½ tsp of sugar
Generous 1 tbsp melted chicken fat (TFD note original recipe used oil)
3 tbsp peanut oil

Instructions

Finely chop the green onions. Grate the ginger. Place both in a bowl.
Use a small pot/pan and heat the oil and chicken fat together. Wait until oil starts fuming. Quickly pour the fuming oil onto the bowl of green onions and ginger.
Add the ½ pack of “Spicy Bake Mix”. (If the “Spicy Bake Mix” is not pre-mixed with salt, add 1 tsp of salt.) Add sugar. Mix well.
The condiment is now ready. Scoop into small dishes to serve at dinner table.