Scallion Oil

Scallion oil belongs in your refrigerator the same way good olive oil belongs in your pantry. Make it once and you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.

It does three things well. It brings a sweet, gently oniony savoriness that doesn't announce itself the way raw scallion does. It adds a drizzle of something that ties a plate together visually. And that color — a deep, vivid green that holds for days in the fridge — does more visual work on a plate than almost anything else you can add in ten seconds.

The method is simple. Blanch the green tops of scallions in heavily salted boiling water for thirty to sixty seconds, then straight into an ice bath. The blanching softens the raw edge. The ice bath locks the color. Drain, squeeze out the excess water, and blend with about a cup of good olive oil until completely smooth.

That's it. It keeps for a week or more in the refrigerator. Use it on rice, on roast chicken, over noodles, on eggs, on anything that needs brightness and a reason to look at it.