Chinese Broccoli with Garlic-Soy Sauce (白灼芥蓝)
Chinese broccoli, blanched then paired with garlic based savory soy sauce, is not only an excellent vegetable dish by itself on a hot or warm day, but also complements any meaty dish at a dinner party.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ½ pound of Chinese broccoli
- Some oil
- Pinch of salt
- 4 garlic cloves; skinned and minced
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of paprika
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (preferable oil with mild flavor and high smoking point)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
Instructions
- 1
Wash the Chinese broccoli by immersing all the stems in cold water for five minutes. Dry all the leaves and stems with a kitchen towel or paper towel.
- 2
Heat a large pot of water under medium-high heat. In the meantime, cut off up to 1 cm (about 0.4 inch) of the stem end to remove the tough mature end. Then separate each stem into 2 or 3 strings. This will ensure easy and even blanching.
- 3
When the water boils, keep the stove on medium-high. Add the pinch of salt, then put all the Chinese broccoli strings into the pot, making sure all the leaves and stems are immersed in hot water. Then drip a few drops of oil into the pot.
- 4
After 2 to 3 minutes of blanching, quickly transfer all the Chinese broccoli into strainer or a plate. After removing all the excess water, arrange the vegetables nicely onto a serving plate.
- 5
Prepare the Sauce. While the Chinese broccoli cools, combine the minced garlic, ½ teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of paprika into a small bowl.
- 6
Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, carefully pour it into the bowl with the minced garlic. You should hear a sizzling sound. Then immediately use a chopstick or fork to mix everything in the bowl.
- 7
Add the 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar to the mixture and mix well.
- 8
Drizzle the sauce on top of the arranged Chinese broccoli.