Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli ) With Oyster Sauce

Rinshinomori's Note:

Very quick and delicious preparation for gai lan or kai lan. Gai lan is sometimes referred to as Chinese broccoli. The stalks are thinner than regular broccoli and as a bonus you also get to eat beautiful yellow gai lan flowers that are often bundled together. This dish is often served at dim sum restaurants. Cooking time is very, very quick and should not be overcooked.

• Total Time: 8 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb gai lan
• 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed but left intact
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon sake (or sherry) or 1 tablespoon chinese rice wine (or sherry)
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• ¾ inch fresh ginger , cut into 1/4 inch coins and smashed
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. Wash the gai lan and trim the ends of stalk (about 1/2 inch) and discard the ends.
2. Mix the chicken stock, sake, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large wok or pan heat 1 1/2 T vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly golden about 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful you do not burn the garlic.
4. Turn the heat to high and add the ginger and cook for 15 to 20 seconds and add gai lan stalks.
5. With a large spoon or spatula scoop up the oil and bathe the gai lan stalks for about 1 minute.
6. Pour the chicken stock mixture and immediately cover the wok or the pan with a tight fitting lid.
7. Turn down the heat to medium and let gai lan steam for about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce with the stalks with a fork.
8. Remove the gai lan to a plate, leaving any remaining stock mixture in the wok or the pan and add oyster sauce and sesame oil. Cook for about 1 minute on medium high and pour the sauce over the cooked gai lan and serve.

Reviews

[Pesto lover]

This turns out just right. We all loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

[firefly68]

I LOVE gai lan, it is one of my favorite veg. I could rarely find it on the west coast (only at Asian markets) and now on the east it's impossible. But here is a source of seeds; next summer I'll grow it and many other Asian fruits and vegies as well. They are grown for flavor, not traveling ability like the stuff we get in supermarkets, and it really shows. Thank you Rinshinomori, I am having so much fun with your recipes! I'll try this one with regular broccoli and look forward to using the real thing. http://www.evergreenseeds.com/vegetableseeds.html

[Karen Elizabeth]

This is so easy and good to eat, but my problem lay in an inability to source gai lan! In the end, I used I used a mixture of gai lan, and partially pre-cooked broccoli, and we very much enjoyed this vegetable dish! You can be sure though, that should I come across gai lan, I will buy it and make this recipe again, so that I have done it properly!!!! Made for Unrated Asian Tag Game.