If you want to eat authentic Cantonese bai qie ji, you must master the raw ginger scallion oil (poached chicken). Furthermore, I find that it is an extremely tempting addition to practically any dish.
TWO VARIATIONS ON THE CLASSIC GINGER SCALLION OIL
Our cooked ginger scallion oil (with chilies), which uses hot oil to generate a rich ginger scallion flavor, may be familiar to you. For some of you, it’s become an indispensable condiment.
On the contrary, this rendition is more faithful to the original. It exemplifies classic Cantonese cuisine in its unadulterated flavors, ease of preparation, and lack of artificial seasonings. There’s oil, salt, and raw scallions in it, as well as raw ginger. The discussion is over.
GINGER SCALLION OIL APPLICATIONS
Several of you noticed that there was no official recipe for the ginger scallion oil that accompanies our freshly revised whole-poached chicken recipe, so we’ve included one below.
Maybe that’s because we use a really basic and frequently haphazard recipe: about 1 part ginger, 2 parts scallion, and the rest are to taste.
Similarly, the same principles apply to its potential applications. You don’t have to stick to poached chicken just because the oil tastes best with the clean flavor of poached chicken.
TO USE IT, DO THIS:
- Use it as a condiment for poached, pan-fried, grilled chicken, or any other type of meat.
- For the vegetarians among us, as an accompaniment to tofu.
- Noodles served cold.
- Use it as a seasoning or garnish for stir-fried greens.
- Over fried rice or plain rice with a fried egg!
Have a taste of the unadorned variety by transferring a serving to a separate bowl and seasoning it with a dash of low-sodium soy sauce. Try both out and see which one you like.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/3-1/2 cup of vegetable oil (80-120 ml)
- 4 tbsp of finely minced scallions (white parts included)
- 3 tbsp of finely minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- light soy sauce
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The scallions should be washed and dried completely before use. Cut them into rounds, then mince them finely using a knife. The amount of minced scallions should equal 4 tablespoons.
- The next step is to thinly slice 10 rounds of ginger. Prepare them by julienne-ing them into matchsticks or mincing them very tiny.
- You need 3 tablespoons of finely minced ginger, which can be accomplished using a food processor for the preceding steps.
- Whisk together the ginger, oil, scallion, and salt in a bowl (adjusting the oil and salt to your taste). Give it a good stir before serving.
- When having a meal of poached chicken (bai qie ji), we usually divide it in half and season one portion with a dash of light soy sauce.