Recipe: Hanh La Phi: Scallion Oil

Scallion Oil
Hanh La Phi (Vietnam)

Scallion oil, made with thinly sliced scallions and vegetable oil, is commonly brushed over grilled meats, seafood, and steamed meat pâtés, or drizzled over rice or noodles. There are several ways of making it. For example, you can heat the oil first, turn it off, and then add the scallions. Or you can add the scallions to the hot oil and keep the combined ingredients over the flame for just a minute or so. Feel free to experiment. Scallion oil can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup vegetable oil
6 scallions, root ends and tough green tops removed, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a heatproof jar.

Variation:
Toi phi dau, fried garlic oil, is especially complementary to seafood soups such as canh ca nau dua, pineapple and fish soup, and hu tieu do bien, noodle with seafood soup. Reminiscent of roasted garlic in flavor and aroma, it should be used sparingly, as a little will go a long way. Heat 3-4 cup vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 8 peeled and minced large cloves of garlic and fry until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to cool briefly and transfer the fried garlic and oil to a heat-resistant jar. Allow to cool completely before sealing with a lid. Fried garlic oil will keep about a week refrigerated.

from:
Authentic Vietnamese Cooking
Food from a Family Table
By Corinne Trang
Simon & Schuster, December 1999
Hardback, $30.00
256 pages, more then 50 black & white photographs
Glossary of ingredients
ISBN: 0-684-86444-4
Recipe reprinted by permission.