how to: Curly Green Onions

I live just minutes away from Providence, Rhode Island, home of the famous Alforno Restaurant. Legend has it that Alforno invented grilled pizza. I can’t say for sure if that’s true, but I do know that their grilled pizzas are absolutely incredible, and are hands down the best I have ever tried. The rest of their menu is outstanding too, but when James and I are in the mood for their pizza (which is more often than we can afford), we head straight for one of their two bars and indulge on a dinner of succulent grilled pizzas accompanied by nothing but a pair of gin martinis.

The finishing touch to almost every grilled pizza I have ever ordered at Alforno is these beautiful green onion curls that not only add a festive flare to their pizzas, but also provide a layer of fresh, subtle oniony flavor. Although my pizzas cannot compare to the magic of Alforno’s, I often top mine with these precious little curls to add a bit of zip and fanfare. The trouble is, they can be terribly tedious to make. I once recruited my [angelic] Mother to make green onion curls for a grilled pizza party I was throwing for some coworkers. After taking her over an hour to make them all, I decided that there had to be a better way. My prayers where answered when I came a across a green bean slicer at a gourmet specialty store. Now I make green bean curls lightening fast and with ease. Here’s how:

CURLY GREEN ONIONS

Trim the root end off of a young green onion (scallion). Using a green bean slicer, cut the green onion lengthwise into very thin strips. If some of the sections are a bit thick, rip them into thinner strips with your fingers. Submerge the onion strips into a bowl of lots of ice and water and allow them to soak for an hour in the refrigerator. Drain the onions and pat dry. The onions can be stored for at least one day in an airtight container in the refrigerator.