Gai Lan, or also known as Chinese Broccoli, is closely related to regular broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. This veggie is widely eaten in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine. It’s best after a quick steam, sauté, or stir-fry. If you have any recipes that call for broccoli rabe leaves, you can easily use Gai Lan. Similarly if your recipes calls for the thick stem of broccoli, Gai Lan is a good substitute as well. Below is a quick, classic appetizer recipe with oyster sauce. It’s one of the green dishes they serve at dim sum, a nice healthy alternative to compliment all those delicious dumplings and meaty entrees.
Photo: Sarah | The Woks of Life
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 bunch fresh Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli), trimmed and washed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
oyster sauce
Boil 2 quarts of water in your wok or a large pot and add the oil directly to the water.
When the water reaches a good raging boil, place the stalks in the water carefully so as not to splash. Depending on how much you have, you may want to work in two batches.
Use tongs or a pair of chopsticks to submerge the veggies completely and cook for a couple minutes, until tender but still a bit crunchy. If you like the veggies soft, leave them in a bit longer.
Use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to take the veggies out of the water. Carefully shake off excess liquid and arrange the Chinese broccoli on a plate. Once they are all on the plate, you can drain any excess water that may have pooled on the plate.
Drizzle a couple tablespoons oyster sauce evenly over the veggies and serve!
Recipe from Sarah | The Woks of Life
