Chinese Broccoli is easier to cook than Italian Broccoli, not malodorous, and far less woody and cabbagy.
It is slightly more bitter, but that adds inestimably to its appeal.
After washing and chopping, blanch briefly in boiling salted water, remove, drain, rinse with cold water, then stirfry. When the pan is good and hot add a splash of sherry or stock to flash-steam the vegetable.
A few drops of sesame oil for fragrance, and you're done.
It's wonderful with shrimp-sauce, oyster sauce, or combined with fish or meat (also briefly pre-cooked).
芥蘭, 芥蘭芯, 或蘭芯菜也...
If you're looking for it at a Chinese store or on a restaurant menu, you will probably see it listed as 芥蘭 (kai-lan) or 蘭芯 (lan-sam).
The second term, lan-sam, refers generally to the pithy inner stalks with the outer leaves removed.
For instance: 炒芥蘭芯 (chau kai-lan sam) is stir-fried Chinese broccoli, 蠔油蘭芯 (hou-yau lan-sam) is the stalky parts stirfried with oyster sauce.
蝦醬芥蘭 (haa-jeung kai-lan) is Chinese Broccoli flash-stirfried with a dollop of fragrant shrimp paste (鹹蝦醬 haahm-haa jeung), some chili, and jiggers stock and rice wine.
Most delicious!
Now, please stop reheating that sulfurous other 'thing' in the office microwave.
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3 comments:
With this I must agree. Chinese Broccoli with oyster sauce is enjoyable to consume, especially with deep fried comestibles around.
Also great with pork belly (Kao ka nar moo grob, if you're lucky enough to come across it in a Thai restaurant).
Blanched, stirfried, with salty pork and a touch of sesame oil.
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