Ginger scallion sauce brings a vibrant flavor to anything you drizzle it over: steamed chicken, poached seafood, noodles, you name it.
Ginger scallion sauce, the bright, fragrant condiment often served with Hainanese chicken rice, works wonders beyond Singaporean hawker fare. Keep a jar in your fridge to drizzle over meat, seafood, soups, noodles, even sandwiches. It’s versatile and so easy to make, there's no reason why you shouldn't—all you need is five ingredients and 10 minutes.
Making ginger scallion sauce requires, well, ginger and scallions. Hot oil releases their flavor, while a bit of salt—in the form of a chicken stock cube—and sesame oil rounds out the final sauce.
Yes. Green onions and scallions are the same thing.
But check out your nearest grocery and you'll find two similar-looking alliums, one thicker than the other: green onions and leeks. You can use either in this recipe.
Why? What we call leeks in the Philippines are considered green onions by Western standards. You can find actual Western leeks in specialty groceries like Santi's: you'll notice that they're way thicker in size (and more expensive). They also taste a little different, so if you're making ginger scallion sauce, you can ignore these completely. Go for those grocery greens!
Do you like your sauce chunky or smooth? What you get will depend on how finely you mince your aromatics.
Hand-chopped is the simplest way to go. But if the thought of biting into hard bits of ginger makes you wince, use a grater or a food processor. (Or flex those knife skills with the smallest possible mince.)
Hot oil unlocks the ginger and scallions' aroma and flavor. Cook the aromatics gently to retain some freshness—just enough to soften the scallions and take the edge off the ginger, but not brown them.
Again, you want the oil hot. Use cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or corn oil. Oils with low smoke points, like coconut or virgin olive oil, might burn before they reach the necessary temperature.
Make ginger scallion sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding any ingredients. Once you see wisps of smoke emerging from the oil, add the minced green onions and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and set aromatics aside in a bowl.
Season the aromatics with half a chicken cube and sesame oil. Mix well to combine. Transfer ginger scallion sauce to a jar, cover tightly, and store in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.
You can add cilantro to your sauce for a bit of freshness. To add, replace ¼ cup of minced green onions with cilantro.
