The 2-Ingredient “Master Sauce” I Put on Everything

One of my first EVER TikTok follows was the author of this recipe I’m about to rave over: Chef Jon Kung. He’s a Chinese American chef who appeared on my FYP making different condiments like chili oil, explaining spices, trying different cooking techniques, and talking about food and its place in society and culture. 

He also introduced me to third-culture cooking, where people blend their unique makeup of food traditions, ingredients, and flavors into their food. As someone who’s learning about their heritage culture (I was adopted from China) and continuing to embrace their adopted culture of Jewish American cuisine, TikTok really said for you (IYKYK).

All that to say, when I heard he was releasing his debut cookbook, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third Culture Kitchen, and was offered the opportunity to get an early look, the answer was an immediate yes! I went straight to the noodle section and immediately found his ginger scallion noodles. The hardest part, I thought, was going to be making the ginger scallion oil. Spoiler: It was not hard. 

Before reading his recipe, I really didn’t know much about this condiment. I tend to stray towards heartier umami flavors like chili crisp as a go-to topping. To me, this recipe is giving light umami. It is an oil, but it’s light, bright, a little salty, and a little savory.

I decided to make the cooked oil, not the raw version, because it’s less pungent and also because it has a longer shelf life and I will not be rushed.

Most importantly, it’s easy to make! Any effort is well worth it. You thinly slice scallions (a good reminder to read the recipe first), mince some ginger, mix them with salt, heat up oil, then pour it over the ginger scallion mixture. Wait for it to cool and ta-da! 

Now for the moment I was so excited about! I love finding new ways to eat noodles. Much like spreadsheets, it really brings me joy. For this recipe, you can choose any noodle you want. Our Culinary Producer James introduced me to these knife-sliced noodles and I immediately wanted to use them for this. They’re long, bouncy, and have rippled edges that hold sauce well. 

All you do is cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, and mix with ginger scallion oil. The point of this recipe is to emphasize the oil, so the suggested toppings keep it minimal. And so I did. 

After I scraped my bowl clean, I immediately wanted more. They had a deliciously subtle flavor that’s neutral enough to go with anything. The ginger and scallions balance each other out perfectly. The ginger makes it feel a little zesty and light, but it’s not at all overpowering. 

Here at The Kitchn we’re very dedicated to introducing you to new ways to fry eggs. Naturally, this oil is supposed to go with everything, so why not eggs? I fried eggs in some of the ginger scallion oil and it was savory, light, and had a hint of ginger. 10/10 recommend.