Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Stir-Fried Bok Choy
  • Yield:Serves 4
  • Active time:5 minutes
  • Total time:10 minutes

[Photograph: Fiona Reilly]

This is a fast and easy way to cook any leafy green Chinese vegetable—bok choy, gai lan, Chinese spinach, or amaranth—while preserving maximum freshness and flavor. Here, bok choy are sliced and stir-fried with scallions, garlic, and ginger. A dash of salt, sugar, and sesame oil enhance the bok choy's natural vegetal flavor without overpowering it. This dish is part of our seven-course Mid-Autumn Festival feast.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium heads bok choy (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 scallions, white parts only, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

  1. 1.

    Rinse bok choy and cut each head in half lengthwise.

  2. 2.

    Heat oil in a wok over medium heat until oil simmering. Add ginger, garlic, and scallion, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. 3.

    Increase heat to high. Add bok choy and stir fry until outer leaves have wilted, about 1 minute. Add sugar and season to taste with salt and cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat, add sesame oil, season to taste with more salt, and serve.