Chinese · All year
Garlic Baby Bok Choy
Halved baby bok choy, blanched, then finished with garlic. The same quiet method as the gai lan, and the same small amount of oil.
15 minutes · Serves 6 · One platter
“He gives food to every creature.”
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb baby bok choy
- 1 tsp fine salt, for the blanching water
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
Method
- 1
Trim the base of each bok choy and halve it lengthwise. Rinse between the leaves. Sand hides there.
- 2
Boil a pot of water, salt it, and blanch the bok choy 45 to 75 seconds, until the white base is tender and the leaves are still green. Drain well. Wet leaves will dilute the garlic.
- 3
Heat the avocado oil over medium. Cook the garlic 20 seconds, until fragrant and not brown. Add the soy sauce and honey.
- 4
Toss the bok choy in the pan just until it is coated. Serve at once.
From the kitchen
- Full-size bok choy wants to be quartered, and the base needs closer to 2 minutes. The leaves still only want a minute, so start the bases first if you are using the large heads.
- Soy and honey stand in for oyster sauce here. If you use oyster sauce instead, use one tablespoon and read the label. It should not contain a seed oil.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
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