Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Every spring, onions are among the first shoots of green to emerge when the soil thaws enough to allow for new growth. Alliums of all kinds come back year after year, and tend to be prolific.
“Walking onions” – spring onions that eventually grow clusters of bulbs that are heavy enough to drop back into the dirt to sprout new offspring the following season – can double from year to year. Last week, no fewer than three of my neighbours offered chives from their profusions of clusters in their front gardens.
The term spring onions can refer to any number of long, slender, vibrant green onions with little to no bulb. It can also refer specifically to the variety of onions (including walking onions) that look like scallions on a larger scale, with white bulbs the size of a large marble. Depending where you are, you may be lucky enough to have access to ramps: garlicky alliums that are often referred to as wild onions or leeks, and can be (responsibly) foraged in wooded areas, mostly in Eastern Canada.
All can be used in many ways, providing a fresher, greener flavour compared with regular white cooking onions. They’re amazing in fritters and frittatas, tacos and noodles, often added as fresh garnish, but can also be sautéed, roasted or grilled.
Once you have a bundle, whether from the store or your backyard, you can encourage new growth by sticking the stem ends in a small glass of water – the roots will grow longer while the green ends continue to grow upward to be snipped off and used as you need them. (And when you’re tired of having them on your countertop, plant them in the backyard or in a container indoors.)
If you have lots to use, it’s always a good idea to make green-onion cakes, a common snack across China. Restaurateur Siu To introduced them to Edmonton back in 1979, the year after he opened his first location. Today, they’re iconic in the city, and commonly served at festivals and other events.
Spring-onion Cakes
There are many ways to make a green-onion cake; the process of rolling the dough thin, then rolling it up, turning it into a coil and rolling it flat creates flaky layers, similar to a paratha. If you don’t want to cook all four cakes at once, you can freeze them, rolled flat and uncooked, between pieces of waxed paper or parchment, and cook them straight from frozen. (They can be frozen after cooking, too, but are best served crisp and warm, straight from the pan.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter (dairy or plant) or vegetable oil (divided)
3/4 cup warm water
vegetable and/or sesame oil, for cooking
12-20 spring onions, scallions and/or chives, chopped
salt, to taste
chili oil, for serving (optional)
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in half (2 tablespoons) of the butter, shortening or oil, and then stir in the water until you have a soft dough. Turn it out onto the countertop and knead for a few minutes, until it’s smooth. Return it to the bowl, cover with a towel and set aside for half an hour or so.
Divide the dough into four pieces and roll each into a rectangle (it can be oval-ish) as thin as you can – about 7x10 inches, with a long side facing you. Melt the remaining butter and brush some over the dough, then scatter with a quarter of the spring onions. Sprinkle with salt.
Starting at a long side, roll up tightly into a long roll, and then shape it into a coil. Repeat with the remaining dough, butter and onions, and let them rest for about five minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, gently roll each coil flat, aiming for about a quarter-inch thick, gently pressing out any air bubbles that form, and sprinkling the top lightly with flour, too, if the rolling pin is sticking.
Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and add a drizzle of vegetable and/or sesame oil. Cook each cake for a few minutes per side, turned as needed until deep golden and blistered. Serve warm, with chili oil if you like.
Makes four spring-onion cakes.