Ginger-scallion sauce (葱姜汁) is one of the most fundamental dipping sauces in Chinese cooking. You’ll find it in restaurants from Hong Kong to Shanghai, aside some of the most popular dishes- poached meat, Char Siu, Roasted pork and so much more. It is the best partner for Chinese white cut chicken.
Let’s talk about a game-changing technique that’ll transform your ginger scallion sauce from good to absolutely incredible. Most recipes tell you to just chop or grate your ginger, but I’m about to share a chef’s method that extracts so much more flavor.
What’s Chinese ginger and scallion sauce
Chinese ginger and scallion sauce combines fresh ginger and large amount of scallions. Firstly, we will add salt to combine the flavors together. Then hot oil is drizzled to stimulate the strong aroma.
In most cases, scallion and ginger sauce is known as the classic dipping sauce for Cantonese white-cut chicken. But it can go far beyond that. It’s perfect for any steamed or poached seafood – especially whole steamed fish, shrimp, and crab.
In addition, you can also use it on blanched vegetables, or noodles even congee. I also love to add it in my dumpling dipping sauce.
Magic of Knife-Smashing
As we all know ginger is full of aromatic oils and juices trapped inside its fibrous structure. So I love to introduce a new method of smashing, from the root of Chinese cooking. When you smash it with back of your knife, the fibers will be opened and there will be a way for the fresh juice to come out and also make the ginger much easier to work with the scallions.
But we are not keeping the juices, on the contrast, we are moving part of them. Too much ginger juice creates bitter taste. Via this method, we just let the juice go. I have showed the way of back smashing in the video.
If you don’t want to do this for whatever reason, slightly squeeze part of the ginger juice out after chopped.
Ingredients:
- 4-inch piece fresh ginger
- 6-8 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp salt
Sometimes, you may find recipe call for shallots or red onion. You can definitely add around 1 tablespoon of fried shallots in the sauce too.
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare ginger and scallion. Peel the ginger and them smash with the back of your cutting knife. You can also use a grater to finish this process. Finely chop the ginger after smashing. Then mince scallion too.
Mix in all ginger and half of the scallion. Add a small pinch of salt. Mix well. Set aside and during this time we will move on to heat the oil.
Heat your oil until slightly smoky. Add the remaining scallions and then pour it directly over the ginger and scallions. You’ll hear that satisfying sizzle as the hot oil releases all those aromatics.
Scallion and Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
- 4- inch piece fresh ginger
- 6-8 scallions
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare ginger and scallion. Peel the ginger and them smash with the back of your cutting knife. You can also use a grater to finish this process. Finely chop the ginger after smashing. Then mince scallion too.
- Mix in all ginger and half of the scallion. Add a small pinch of salt. Mix well.
- Heat your oil until slightly smoky. Add the remaining green onion. Pour the hot oil directly over the ginger and scallions. You’ll hear that satisfying sizzle as the hot oil releases all those aromatics.
