Molly Stevens' Sweet Braised Whole Scallions
A big final squeeze of lemon is a must. Looks like seaweed; tastes like braise-roasted oniony goodness.
More than just a pretty face, scallions go from garnish to full on vegetable side.
Lop off their tails ...
... and tops.
Butter yourself a baking dish -- this will baste the scallions from below and keep them from sticking.
Arrange the green tops in a double layer in the middle, with the white tips poking outward.
Aromatic-on-aromatic action -- here we used tarragon, but parsley is lovely too.
Gather them into a bundle and slice through.
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.
Your seasoning team: tarragon and butter.
Sprinkle.
Dot.
The onions are so flavorful that water is a fine braising liquid -- they make their own broth.
Cover tightly with foil to trap in the steam, then it's off to the oven for 35 minutes.
When it comes out, it's soft and mellowed.
Crank the heat to 450 and let the broth sizzle off and edges singe.
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Genius Recipes says: 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)
Serves 4
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 pound scallions (about 5 bunches, or 3 dozen)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon (do not substitute dried) or 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lemon
- 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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6 months ago flossy
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it, and sad i won't have leftovers for an omelette in the AM :-( even my 6 year old loved them. made it with a roast chicken (summer weather has broken!) and can't wait to make them again. if you are thinking this may not work, believe me, it will. didn't have any fresh tarragon or parsley either -- will do next time! thanks.
7 months ago Whats4Dinner
I LOVE scallions! However, I'm also vegan. Do you think this would be good just subbing w/evoo to oil the pan, then earth balance (a vegan butter substitute) to dot the top?
7 months ago ihaventpoisonedyouyet
These are epic. Good, fast, easy. Making them tonight with a shrimp dish, but they've been a great accompaniment to roast chicken, tenderloin, eggs, all by themselves. Love them!
8 months ago Island Food
Tried it out last night and it was delicious! Will make it again.
12 months ago mizerychik
Holy hell, these are good. The few that were left over made it into the next morning's omelette, which was the best I've ever had. I'm already dreaming about making them again.
12 months ago Midge
After eating this tonight, my husband informed me that he'd like it every night for dinner for the rest of his life. I kind of do too!
12 months ago JoeBert
Prepared this last night (Feb 27 2012) as a side dish for Chicken Piccata. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out very well....it was all eaten!! I will definitely be having this again. I think it would pare very well with some garlic mashed potatoes...perhaps as a topping for the potatoes...yum, yum!!