The clue’s in the name – these sharp, fresh essentials sing of the new season. But they’re not just for finishing a dish or throwing into salads, you know...
RECIPES, FOOD STYLING AND ILLUSTRATIONS POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
Veg hero of the month.
WHAT IS A SPRING ONION?
Also known as scallions or green onions (as in the groovy 1960s track by Booker T & The MGs), they’re basically regular onions before they’re fully grown. Unlike mature onions, you can eat the green tops too, while the small white bulb has a milder flavour than that of a mature onion.
HOW COME YOU CAN BUY THEM ALL YEAR ROUND?
The first British ones come out in early spring (hence the name), though they can be planted later too and nurtured in hothouses. If you’re buying the onions in winter, take a look at the label and you’ll find they’re either from places like Thailand or Egypt. For seasonal, sustainable British produce, they’re never better than now.
ARE THEY THE SAME AS A SALAD ONION?
No. Salad onions are left longer to mature, so they have larger bulbs and tend to come in a little later in the year.
ARE THEY JUST FOR SALADS?
They’re great in hot dishes too, and you can even char them to go with big sweet or sharp flavours (search ‘burnt spring onion’ on our website for recipes) or use them in risottos, tarts, frittatas, scones, breads and more.
They’re huge in Chinese cooking (what would crispy duck pancakes be without them?) and Hainanese cuisine inspired the oil in our amazing chilli-soy scallops, opposite.
You can get properly creative with spring onions: we’ve shredded and browned them to make ‘hay’ to top soup, p38.
ARE THEY NUTRITIOUS?
Spring onions join potatoes and swedes in being an unlikely source of vitamin C, and they’re packed with vitamins A and K, plus folate and fibre. They’re also good for gut health. →
Chilli-soy scallops with a ginger & spring onion oil
Serves 2-4 as a starter
Hands-on time 20 min
BE A BETTER COOKCooking scallops is like cooking steak – using your fingers is a good way to tell when they’re ready. Note how a raw scallop feels – soft and slack. When you think the scallops are cooked, gently squeeze one between thumb and forefinger (out of the pan to avoid hot oil) and you’ll notice it’s now bouncier but still a little squishable. Over-cooked scallops will feel firm and have no give.
KNOW-HOWTo get the b
