Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
蠔油芥蘭 (Hao You Gai Lan)
Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan, is yet another member of the family Brassicaceae—humanity’s favorite easily domesticated leafy vegetable. [1] It has a flavor similar to Western broccoli, but has leaves rather than buds. [2] Additionally, gai lan stalks have a tender texture not unlike that of asparagus. Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce has become the default vegetable preparation on dim sum tables, perhaps due to the vegetable’s popularity in Hong Kong. It’s a quick and easy dish to put together, calling for few ingredients.
Ingredients
1 lb Chinese broccoli
4 cloves garlic, sliced
½ inch ginger, sliced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
½ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
Vegetable oil
The stalks of young Chinese broccoli are crisp and tender. However, older Chinese broccoli is more bitter, and will have tough, woody stems. Since we are serving these stalks whole, it is important to find good-quality Chinese broccoli—look for thin stalks and bright green leaves. Prepare the broccoli by trimming off any part of the stem which is tough (how much to take off the bottom will depend on the quality of the broccoli you find). If you have any particularly thick stalks, split them in half lengthwise. Another strategy you can employ to deal with tough stalks is to peel the skin off of the bottom part of the stalk, leaving the more tender core.
Heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced garlic and ginger to the pan. Fry for about 30 seconds, or until the aromatics are fragrant. Then add the broccoli stalks to the pan, and toss briefly in the oil. Then add the chicken stock to the pan, and immediately clamp on the lid. The water in the chicken stock will flash into steam on contact with the hot pan, and we want to trap as much of this steam as possible to cook the broccoli through. Steam the broccoli until the stalks are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the cooked broccoli from the heat, and place on a serving plate.
Reduce the heat to low, and add the oyster sauce and optional rice wine to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring vigorously, until the oyster sauce combines with the wine and the remaining chicken stock to form a sauce. Pour the sauce (including the cooked garlic and ginger) over the broccoli and serve.
Substitutions
If you don’t have oyster sauce on hand, you can substitute a combination of soy sauce and sugar instead, and then thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. To make this dish vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock, and use a mushroom-based oyster sauce. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, or if your broccoli is particularly bitter, add a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce. This recipe also works great with broccolini, broccoli rabe, or asparagus.
[1] Cruciferous vegetables include mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, watercress, arugula, radish, and many others. The historic name of the genus, Cruciferae, means “cross-bearing,” because all flowers of the family have 4 petals.
[2] Broccolini, also known as baby or tenderstem broccoli, is a genetic hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It was developed by the Sakata Seed Company of Japan in 1994, cultivated in Mexico, and marketed by an American firm.
Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 15 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: pan
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 lb Chinese broccoli
4 cloves garlic, sliced
½ inch ginger, sliced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
½ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
Vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Wash the Chinese broccoli, and trim off any tough stems. Split any large broccoli stalks lengthwise.
2. Heat about 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and ginger and fry for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
3. Add the broccoli to the pan, pour over the chicken stock, and cover immediately. Let the broccoli steam in the pan until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the cooked broccoli from the pan and plate.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the oyster sauce and rice wine to the pan, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring with the chicken stock until the sauce is uniform.
5. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and serve.
