Ginger-scallion sauce packs powerful punch
This pungent Chinese condiment is a weapon against bland food
I cannot live without rice and if you serve it with Chinese ginger-scallion sauce, one of my all-time favourite condiments, I can inhale three bowls of it without thinking.
It’s a sauce that every Chinese kid loves and will put it on everything.
Traditionally, ginger-scallion sauce is served with poached chicken or Hainanese chicken and rice. It makes otherwise bland dishes (ie: poached chicken) pop with a powerful punch of minced ginger and green onion marinated in oil and salt. It’s not spicy in the hot pepper-sense, but spicy in a pungent grassy flavour thanks to the onion and ginger.
For this dish, I used the condiment to flavour an otherwise bland (but healthy!) bowl of brown rice, bitter greens and tofu. You don’t need a lot of the sauce. It’s highly concentrated and salty.
Try it on steamed or grilled fish, Chinese noodle soups and drizzle a little on congee. Gai lan (also called Chinese broccoli) can be found at most supermarkets, but you can substitute rapini or broccoli.
Seared Tofu With Gai Lan, Brown Rice and Ginger-Scallion Sauce
Star Tested Ginger-Scallion Sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely minced ginger 3 green onion stalks, chopped into 1cm pieces 1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt, plus more to taste 1/4 cup (60 mL) peanut oil In a large heat-proof bowl, toss together minced ginger, chopped green onion and salt.
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until it just begins to smoke. Remove from heat and pour oil over bowl, careful as oil will bubble. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (it should be quite salty with a strong ginger taste).
Let cool to room temperature before serving.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 1/4 cup (60 mL) sauce. Seared Tofu With Gai Lan and Brown Rice 1/2 cup (125 mL) long-grain brown rice 1 cup (250 mL) chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 tsp (1 mL) kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tsp (10 mL) peanut oil 175 g firm tofu cut into bite-sized cubes Small handful gai lan (Chinese broccoli), trim woody ends 1 finely minced garlic clove Ginger-scallion sauce, to taste In a small pot over mediumhigh heat, add rice, broth and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt. Cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until most of liquid has cooked off and rice is tender but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove lid. Fluff rice with fork. Replace lid to keep warm. Set aside.
While rice is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Add tofu and gai lan. Toss gently and season with salt to taste. Cover.
Let steam until gai lan is tender and leaves are slightly charred, and tofu is golden brown, about 10 minutes, removing lid and stirring gently occasionally. If pan gets too dry, add a splash of water. When gai lan is tender, stir in minced garlic. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
To serve, add rice, gai lan and tofu to a large bowl. Serve with ginger scallion sauce.
Makes 1 serving. Single Adult Diner is a biweekly recipe column focusing on single portions of fast, tasty and usually healthy weeknight recipes. Email