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Sweet Braised Whole Scallions
If you’ve never tasted slow-cooked whole scallions,
you’re in for a treat. This recipe comes in handy when
stalwart scallions seem to be the only vegetables with any
vitality left in the produce bins by late winter. It’s
also a favorite standby when I want a tasty side dish
without making any real effort. Aside from trimming the
scallions (removing the root end and only taking an inch
or so off the top) and chopping a bit of tarragon, there’s
very little to do.
As the scallions braise, the sweet anise flavor of the
tarragon mingles with their oniony juices, giving the
whole dish a candy-like sweetness that is ideal alongside
a grilled steak or roasted chicken. I like to place a dish
of these on the Thanksgiving table too. If you can’t find
fresh tarragon, or simply don’t care for its taste,
substitute fresh parsley or omit the herb altogether. The
scallions will still taste delicious.
Serves 6
Braising Time: About 1 hour
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2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 pound scallions (about 5 bunches, or 3 dozen)
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1/2 cup water
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1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon (do not
substitute dried) or 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf
parsley
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Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1/2 lemon
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using about 1 1/2 teaspoons
of butter, generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Trimming the scallions: Trim the root ends and 1 1/2
inches off the green tops of the scallions. Arrange half
of the scallions in the baking dish so the bulb ends are
lined up at one end and the greens are toward the middle.
Place the other half of the scallions in the opposite
direction, so you end up with a double layer of scallion
greens across the center of the dish and a single layer of
bulbs and each end of the dish.
The braise: Pour the water into the dish. Cut the
remaining butter into slivers and dot it over the top of
the scallions. Season with the tarragon or parsley, salt,
and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and slide
onto the middle rack in the oven. Braise undisturbed until
fragrant and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
The finish: Remove the foil from the dish, and increase
the oven heat to 450 degrees. Roast the scallions for 10
minutes, then shake the pan back and forth to coat the
scallions with the glaze that will have formed. Continue
roasting until the liquid evaporates and the edges of the
scallions are beginning to brown, another 5 minutes or so.
Squeeze over a few drops of lemon juice to taste, and
serve hot or warm.
Recipe from
All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated
Cooking
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A Treasury of One-Pot Meals
By Molly Stevens (W.W. Norton ; October 2004;
$35.00/Hardcover; ISBN: 0-393-05230-3) |
