Quick Bok Choy Stir-fry
This is a delicious way to prepare bok choy. And the sauce works beautifully for any other quick vegetable stir fries as well. The Sichuan peppercorns are pretty key here–it’s worth getting a jar of them and they keep well. They’re more floral and flavorful than black pepper though you could use 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper corns in a pinch here.
Serves 3-4
1 large head bok choy, stalks separated and washed and stems and leaves cut into 1-inch or so ribbons/slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 scant tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed a bit (see headnote)
2 whole star anise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (Mirin) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Steamed rice
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt lightly.
2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, ginger, star anise and crushed pepper corns and sauté for a minute or two until very fragrant and just starting to brown, stirring often. Add the remainder of the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes at a simmer.
3. Scrape all of the sauce out of the sauce pan and transfer to a wok or large skillet though discard the star anise.
4. Drop the bok choy into the boiling water and cook for about 2-4 minutes—taste after 2 minutes. The length of time will depend on the size of your pot/amount of water and strength of burner. Drain the bok choy and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Cook over high heat for just 1 minute or so to combine well. Serve hot over rice.
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