Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (蚝油芥蓝 Hao You Gai Lan)

My Chinese broccoli is finally ready for harvest. This summer was the first time I planted these. I bought the seeds from an Asian grocery store after reading the label, which says that Chinese broccoli can be planted all year round and tolerates heat well. So after I removed my tomato plants in late June, I seeded a few in my raised garden bed.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure if these Chinese broccoli could survive Texas’ summer heat. All my previous knowledge of broccoli was based on my experience with western broccoli, which is definitely more of a cool-weather plant. To make things worse, the heat came especially early in Texas this year. We experienced long days of heat without any rain for weeks. For the entire month of July, my Chinese broccoli stayed in seedling form and seemed to be stuck in a limbo state despite my twice daily watering.

Finally in August, when the weather cooled down and brought more rain, my Chinese broccoli started to thrive. It definitely started to look more and more like the Chinese broccoli I see in Asian grocery stores.

Yes, it did take longer than the suggested number of days to harvest, which I think is a result of the scorching heat in Texas this summer, but overall it’s been quite easy to grow this tasty plant. I didn’t see any pests feasting on them unlike some of my other plants. I’m definitely going to grow them regularly and hopefully experiment with more Chinese broccoli recipes. If you like Chinese Broccoli, I previously shared another version that my family likes: Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Soy Sauce.

Gluten Free, Low Carb

Preparation Time:  10 minutes

Total Time:  15 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Chinese broccoli (about 1/2 lb) ¹
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce ²
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ³
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Heat a large pot of water. While waiting for the water to boil, wash the Chinese broccoli thoroughly. Separate the leaves and the stems. Peel the outer skin from the thicker stems. Halve large leaves and cut stems diagonally into slices.

2. When the water boils, add a few drops of vegetable oil. Then add the stems first to the hot water. Blanch the stems for 30 seconds before adding the leaves. Blanch together for another 2 minutes.

3. When the 2 minutes are up, immediately take out the Chinese broccoli and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. Drain well and lay the Chinese broccoli on a flat plate.

4. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of water together. (You can also do this after step 5 and use the same bowl that you used for the garlic.)

5. Heat a small pan under low heat. When pan is warm, add 1 tablespoon of oil and the minced garlic. Slowly cook the garlic cook under low heat until the garlic turns golden but not brown.

6. Add the prepared sauce and swirl around. When the sauce starts bubbling, turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the blanched Chinese broccoli. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit

Notes:

1. You can get Chinese broccoli in any Asian grocery store these days.

2. You can find oyster sauce in any Asian grocery store. Many Western chain stores carry it in their oriental food section. If you want gluten free oyster sauce or fancy oyster sauce, try the one I used here (Megachef Oyster sauce). I managed to get a bottle from my local Asian grocery store at a cheaper price than the premium Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce.

3. For a gluten free version, use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.

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