📝I. Ingredient List
Here are all the ingredients needed to make this dish.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes (Selection & Handling) |
|---|---|---|
| 🥬 Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan/Jie Lan) | 300 g | Choose ones with thick stems and bright green leaves for a crisper and sweeter taste. |
| 🧄 Garlic | 2 cloves | Smashed or sliced. |
| 🧂 Salt | To taste (approx. 3 g) | For blanching and seasoning. |
| 🍯 White Sugar | 3 g | Balances the slight bitterness of the broccoli and enhances umami. |
| 🍶 Cooking Wine | 10 ml | Reduces astringency and enhances flavor. Shaoxing wine is preferable; liquor can be used for a more robust flavor. |
| 💧 Water | Enough for blanching | – |
| 🔥 Cooking Oil | 15 ml | Lard is recommended for traditional Cantonese flavor; olive oil for a lighter taste. |
| 🧈 Lard (optional) | 10 g | Adds traditional Cantonese flavor; optional. |
| 🧊 Starch | 3 g | For thickening the sauce (optional). |
👩🍳 II. Instructions
Let’s start making this delicious Stir-fried Chinese Broccoli with Ginger Sauce step by step.
- 1.Preparation:
- •Soak and clean the broccoli: Rinse the Chinese broccoli with clean water, then soak it in lightly salted water for about 10 minutes to help remove impurities. Rinse again under running water and drain thoroughly.
- •Prepare the broccoli: Use a knife to peel off the tough skin from the lower stem. Remove any old or tough leaves to ensure a tender texture. Cut the broccoli into sections, and separate the thicker stems from the tender leaves (as they require different cooking times).
- •Prepare the ginger sauce: Peel the ginger (ginger skin is considered cooling in nature). Grate it into minced ginger or chop it into very fine pieces. Place it in a bowl. Add the cooking wine (10 ml), mix well with your fingers to release the ginger juice, and set aside.
- •Prepare the garlic: Peel the garlic and slice or smash it.
- 2.Blanching:
- •Bring a sufficient amount of water to a rolling boil in a pot. Add a pinch of salt (approx. 1 g) and a few drops of cooking oil once boiling.
- •First, add the thicker broccoli stems and blanch for about 20 seconds. Then add the leaves and continue blanching for another 10 seconds. The total blanching time should not exceed 30 seconds.
- •Immediately remove and plunge into ice water or cold water to stop the cooking process. This is crucial for retaining the vibrant green color and crisp texture. Drain thoroughly after cooling completely.
- 3.Stir-frying:
- •Heat the oil (lard or vegetable oil) in a wok over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic slices and stir-fry briefly until fragrant.
- •Add the well-drained broccoli. Stir-fry quickly over high heat for about 20 seconds to heat evenly.
- 4.Seasoning and Thickening (optional):
- •Pour in the prepared ginger sauce (include the minced ginger). Add salt (approx. 2 g) and sugar (3 g). Continue to stir-fry quickly over high heat for about 20 seconds until evenly combined.
- •(Optional) Mix the starch (3 g) with water (15 ml) to create a slurry. Pour it into the wok to thicken the sauce, stirring quickly to coat the broccoli evenly.
- 5.Serving:
- •Once the sauce evenly coats the broccoli, turn off the heat immediately. Transfer to a serving plate. ✅ Enjoy immediately while hot for the best taste!
💡 Tips:
- •Adding salt and oil to the blanching water, followed by shocking in cold water, is the secret to keeping vegetables vibrant green and crisp.
- •Ginger is warming in nature and can help balance the cooling properties of Chinese broccoli, making the dish flavorful and health-conscious.
- •Maintain high heat throughout the stir-frying process to seal in moisture, preventing the greens from releasing water and ensuring a better texture.
