Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
By
Nicole Fleming
@haynnanigurl
1
While most families have a main dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner, when it was time to eat at my grandfathers house there was several dishes on the table. A typical Chinese style dinner consisted of a fish dish, chicken dish, soup dish and at least three vegetable dishes-one of them being Gai Lan. This was a staple in my household. This is definitely one of my childhood favorites.
Ingredients
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1 lbchinese broccoli (gai lan)
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1 1/2 Tbspcooking oil
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6 clovegarlic, peeled and lightly smashed
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1/2 cwater or vegetable stock
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1 Tbsprice wine
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1/4 tspsugar
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2 slicefresh ginger, smashed lightly with knife handle
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3 Tbspoyster sauce
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1/2 tspsesame oil
How to Make Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
- Mix water, wine and sugar for the base in a separate bowl and set aside. Wash Gai Lan, trim 1 inch off the stem and discard. Cut Gai Lan into 2 inch pieces.
- Heat oil in wok or roast pan until oil is hot. Add garlic cloves. Toss until golden brown (you don't want your garlic to burn). If it starts to burn, turn the heat down. When Garlic becomes golden brown, add ginger slices tossing for 30 seconds.
- Add the Gai Lan to the pot, tossing stems in first and then the leaves. You want the Gai Lan to be coated evenly with infused oil.
- Add base to the pot, toss quickly and cover. Turn heat down to med-high and let steam 3-4 minutes.
- When the Gai Lan looks cooked through, pick out the ginger and throw out. Plate the Gai Lan and Garlic on a plate.
- With the remaining stock in the pot (about 3 tbsp worth), add oyster sauce and sesame oil and cook until it bubbles. Pour over plated Gai Lan.
