Garlic Broccoli ingredient...?!
Answers: I love the garlic broccoli that I can order at Chinese restaurants. But when I try to make some at home, it doesn’t taste quite right. I use fresh broccoli florets, plenty of minced garlic, some chicken broth with a little oyster sauce, and just enough cornstarch to make the sauce thick. I’ve tried out a few online recipes…does anyone have an ingredient suggestion to add that missing flavor?
Try this one.
Servings: 4 as a side
One of our favorite vegetables, we frequently order Gai-lan when out for Dim Sum or other Chinese meals. It looks similar to Broccoli Rabe, but tastes like a cross between regular broccoli and asparagus with none of the bitterness of broccoli rabe.
We generally prepare it Chinese-style, but it can also be prepared Italian-style, just like other forms of broccoli.
Chinese Broccoli or Gai-lan, figure 1 bunch for 4 people
With Oyster Sauce
1/4 c Oyster Sauce, best quality
Sauteed with Garlic
1/3 c Peanut or Olive Oil
6 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt or Soy Sauce, to taste
1 tsp Sesame Oil, optional
Blanch the vegetable: Set a large pot of water to boil, add salt when it comes to the boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready.
Prepare the Chinese Broccoli by trimming the cut ends, washing, then separate the leafy, thinner-stalked half from the larger stem half by cutting approximately in half. Blanch the vegetable, adding the thicker stemmed portion to the water about 1 minute before the thinner stemmed/leafy portion. After about another minute the vegetable will turn bright green.* Use a pasta scoop or spider web chan to remove the vegetable and shock in ice water. When cold, drain and saute the vegetables.
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
* If planning to serve immediately with Oyster Sauce, do not shock, but cook the vegetable just a little longer in the boiling water, then remove to a platter. Drizzle the Oyster Sauce all over the vegetable and serve immediately.
Chinese Broccoli Sauteed with Garlic - Chinese Style
Heat Peanut Oil in a wok and add the garlic and blanched Gai-lan. Stir fry until the vegetable is heated through and the garlic is lightly golden. Drizzle with Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil and serve.
Chinese Broccoli Sauteed with Garlic - Italian Style
In a very large skillet (or wok), place garlic slices and Olive Oil and bring up to heat, adding Gai-lan and a sprinnkle of salt while the garlic is still white. You can either briefly saute it to keep the vegetable crisp-tender, or lower the heat and cook it until wilted, like Broccoli Rabe.
Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of Sesame Oil.
I make killer broccoli with garlic Chinese (?) style (my way)
Steam broccoli until tender crisp
Saute garlic & red pepper flakes using a small amount of peanut oil.
Then stir in a couple tablespoons of:
smooth peanut butter
Finely chopped crystalized ginger or grated fresh
a drizzle of toasted sesame oil
soy sauce to taste
This sounds really wierd but is fantastic!
sesame oil is a good suggestion. other things that might help are mirin or rice wine, add it to the hot pan just before adding the other liquids. (if you don't have rice wine, a little bit of pale beer will help) also try adding a little bit of powdered ginger if you've got it. If you aren't using it already, a small dash of vinegar will help too, to counteract the sweetness of the oyster sauce.
hope that helps
It's probably MSG. Evil, evil MSG. You can buy it in big bags at Chinese grocery stores. But it'll give you tumors.