Braised Green Onions Are the Perfect Cheap Weekday Side Dish
I try to eat more vegetables, herbs and plant parts other than potatoes. This happens pretty much as you’d expect (okay, not great). A few days ago, I included fried pumpkin in my breakfast, but I need something green. Luckily, I stumbled upon Molly Stevens’s Butter-Sautéed Green Onions while browsing Food52.
These green onions are the perfect weekday vegetable snack. All you need to do quickly, without hassle and in good taste is to cut some green onions, throw them into a pan with water and oil, cover this pan and let them simmer until they are soft and fragrant. Remove the coating and let the ends brown well and you will be rewarded with a wonderful land of textures and flavors.
The onions are stewed juicy and oily, almost melting in the mouth, while the green tips darken, almost burn, turning into savory crunchy pieces that contrast slightly with the onions. Perfect.
I didn’t stick to Stevens’ exact proportions. As a woman who lives alone most of the time, I didn’t want to stew and eat five bunches of green onions, so I reduced the amount to two, but still used a full two tablespoons of oil (should be me). I also skipped taragon because I didn’t have it. Regardless, they turned out great.
Once your green onions are sautéed, you can eat them along with any protein you wish, chop them up and spread them over rice or pasta, or chop them up and mix them into a sauce or dressing. I also think they’d be great for an egg sandwich: cut them into manageable pieces, mix with a little mayonnaise, and spread on toast before building the rest of your BEC.
Easy Braised Scallions for One (Slightly adapted from Molly Stevens’ recipe)
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches of green onions (about 14 pieces)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 pinch of coarse salt for three fingers
Wash the onion and cut off the roots. Take a baking dish that is only suitable for the length of the shallots. Place half of the green onions in the pot with the ends of the onions on one side, then place the rest of the onions on the opposite side. Add water to the pan and sprinkle the onions with butter.
Cover tightly with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, raise the heat to 450℉ and cook for another 10-15 minutes, turning the green onions every five minutes or so, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the tips of the green onions are brown. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.