Intro
I get on these kicks where I become obsessed with an ingredient, method or flavor and then I’ll find myself putting whatever the thing may be into all the things.
For awhile, thanks to my friend Megan, I was toasting oats every single morning and making all sorts of batches of oatmeal and/or oatmeal granola hybrids. Then there was the time I ate rosemary ash at Hogstone on Orcas Island and I’ve never shied away from something being “too dark” since. When Reneé Erickson showed me how beautiful tomatoes and vanilla are together I started putting vanilla salt on everything; sweet and savory.
Currently I’m freckling all my toasts, salads, and soups with whole roasted spices, and thanks to my new grill everything is getting bathed in smoke and I’m finding all sorts of places to tuck in charred scallions.
For the next book finely chopped charred scallions are swirled into sour cream for a dip reminiscent of french onion dip with a brighter, smokier taste. But here we’re slipping them into a comforting grilled cheese sandwich.
If you have a grill handy that is ideal but most often I sear these on a cast iron grill pan or just in my skillet. Grill or sear until nearly blackened (remember that ash from above?). They soften and turn sweet with a bit of time. That deep char gives off a lovely smokiness and once finely chopped and with a bit of salt mixed in they turn into a lovely relish-like sauce that, as I’ve been doing, can be tucked in everywhere.
Charred Scallion Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bunches scallions (about 10)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons dijon
3 tablespoons butter
4 slices bread
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a large cast iron skillet or if you are grilling the scallions toss with the oil. Sear or grill the scallions until softened and deeply charred in parts, about 5 to 8 minutes, turning as needed.
Remove the scallions from the pan or grill, let cool for at least 5 minutes then finely chop. Add the salt.
Slather the bread with dijon, add the butter to the skillet and add two slices of bread. Add 1/2 cup grated gruyere to the bread and half of the scallions. Top with the other piece of bread then grill until deeply golden and the cheese has melted.
Yum!!!!
I was immediately drawn by the magic words “charred scallions.”
You might like an Andorran dish (Andorra is a microstate in the peaks of the Pyrénnées between France and Spain) that involves calçots–a kind of green onions–grilled and then dipped in romesco sauce. I put up a recipe a while back. So delicious.
I just love all types of grilled cheese sandwiches but the charred scallions sound extra delicious. x Kati
Aren’t Traeger Grills just the best ?! My family gave me one for Mother’s Day six or seven years ago, and I use it year round. Smoked whole chickens, sometimes with a pesto rub, are a staple in our house. Smoky roasted sweet potatoes have changed many a negative opinion about that root, and once–when my oven failed mid-chocolate cake–the Traeger saved it from disaster !
What’s not to love about getting an entire meal to the table with no pans to scrub up after 🙂 ?
Oh wow, these looks so tasty! The perfect comfort food for the beginning of Autumn and cooler nights!
Exactly! I love the changing of a season. It’s like we have a whole new palate to create with.
thank you for this, would never have otherwise drilled so deep into an ingredient to have seared scallions, love coming across new flavors with familiar ingredients and this certainly fits! Also will have to check out the vanilla salt? and other tweaks that you reference here, thank you!
Perfect ! Just perfect ! Thank you !
charred scallions sound like my new favorite thing, not that i’ve tried them 😛 but i can totally imagine that sweet yet complex smokiness.
You’ll love them. I know it.
Charring scallions, carrots, and eggplant has been the definition of my summer this year. And Renee Erickson is a genius! That woman can do no wrong food-wise!! And I was so pleasantly surprised by Hogstone!!! On the islands, I never know what to expect;) This sandwich looks amazing but then again, so does that dip you made!!
Wow, this looks so delicious! I love the ingredients you chose. I’m definitely going to try this myself =)
The grill can produce some truly magical meals. This grilled cheese looks fantastic.
And somehow I missed the news about your next book! So exciting! As you know, I adore the first, so I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one (
Just wanted to say, I couldn’t agree with you more about Renee Erickson’s tomatoes!!
This look like such a decadent toastie – YUM! definitely want to try grilled spring onions this summer 🙂
Hi..amazing and your grilled cheese charred scallions looks so yummy and creamy i will tried to make this as well this is one of my favorite recipe till now. Thanks for sharing…!
These look amazing! I am still waiting on some of my Tomatillos in the garden to ripen and I have a sneaking suspicion that these scallions in a salsa with those tomatillos would be insane!