Author Notes: We tend to think of braising only in terms of long-cooked meats, but Molly Stevens is an expert at short-braised vegetables too. Here, scallions graduate from garnish to side.
From All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking (W.W. Norton & Company, 2004) —Genius Recipes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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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
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using about 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter, generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Photo by James Ransom
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More than just a pretty face, scallions go from garnish to full on vegetable side.
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Lop off their tails …
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… and tops.
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Butter yourself a baking dish — this will baste the scallions from below and keep them from sticking.
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Arrange the green tops in a double layer in the middle, with the white tips poking outward.
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Aromatic-on-aromatic action — here we used tarragon, but parsley is lovely too.
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Gather them into a bundle and slice through.
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Then give it another pass for a coarse chop. This doesn't have to be perfect: it's going to melt into the sauce anyway.
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Your seasoning team: tarragon and butter.
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Sprinkle.
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Dot.
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The onions are so flavorful that water is a fine braising liquid — they make their own broth.
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Cover tightly with foil to trap in the steam, then it's off to the oven for 35 minutes.
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When it comes out, it's soft and mellowed.
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Crank the heat to 450 and let the broth sizzle off and edges singe.
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A big final squeeze of lemon is a must. Looks like seaweed; tastes like braise-roasted oniony goodness.
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