It’s so funny. I really thought I was only making a slightly modified version of Garlicky Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms these past few weeks but I didn’t consult the recipe until today, when I realized that what I’ve been doing is actually a whole new thing!
Bok Choy is one of the earliest spring vegetables we can get at our farmers’ market so I often pick it up. It can be used like any other veg in my one pot meals, where you would just clean it and chop it finely in the food processor. But it’s also really good on its own.
As I mentioned in the original recipe, I can’t do the whole or quartered thing. What I’m doing these days is taking off the bottoms and putting the individual leaves in a bowl of water to soak to get rid of the grit. I scrub the bottoms of the stalks as needed to make sure they’re very clean. Then I cut the leafy part from the stem and make a pile of each. I slice the stems into half moons as I’d do with celery and keep it separate. Then I julienne or slice or chiffonade the leafy greens. This allows me to cook the stems a bit longer.
Our whole family adores garlic so if you want a milder garlic flavor, reduce to your taste.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oil on medium high til shimmering in a large sauté pan (I use our 12-inch cast iron if I’m feeding all of us)
- Add the bok choy stems sprinkled with a pinch of sugar, stirring constantly, then add the garlic. You could add the garlic first, but if you do that you’ll tend to get very brown garlic and it will stick to the pan. This is great if you like browned garlic but if you want the garlic to be gentler, add it after the bok choy
- After a few minutes, add the leaves. Keep stirring. For extra tender greens, put a lid on the pan for a minute or two to steam everything
- Add a few shakes of soy sauce to taste
- When the bok choy is your preferred level of tenderness, remove from the heat and serve
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