Gai lan (Chinese broccoli) should taste of itself, garlic and flame. The restaurant trick is a ferocious wok. The home trick is a short blanch so you are not asking a domestic burner to both tenderise thick stems and perfume the leaves.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch gai lan, ends trimmed, thick stems halved lengthwise
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 slices ginger
- 1 tbsp light soy
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp oil
- Pinch of salt
- Splash of the blanching water
Method
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the gai lan for 45–75 seconds until the stems just yield. Drain well. Water left on the leaves will kill the next step.
Heat a wok until it smokes lightly. Add the oil, then garlic and ginger. When you can smell them — seconds, not minutes — add the greens. Toss. Add soy, wine, sugar and a splash of blanching water. Toss until the leaves are coated and the stems are hot. Serve at once. The garlic should be golden in places, not bitter and dark.
Notes
Broccolini will stand in. Choy sum wants an even shorter blanch. If you skip the blanch, slice the stems thin and accept a longer toss. Oyster sauce is optional and not vegetarian; if you use it, use less soy.