Gai Lan and Oyster Sauce

About

If you love broccoli stems, you will love Chinese broccoli also known as gai lan. Gai lan has rich green leaves that give way to stalky stems that are sweet and crunchy. One of the easiest ways to cook these is to boil them in water briefly until the stems are cooked to your liking. The boiled, tender stems are drizzled with a mixture of oyster sauce and sesame oil. The flavor is outstanding! Slightly bitter, yet sweet stems with lightly sweet oyster sauce. This side dish is excellent with a multitude of main dishes. You will love this easy Keto side recipe.

What is gai lan?

Gai lan is also known as Chinese broccoli. The flavor is much like broccoli but much more smooth. The stems, once cooked, are sweet, and the leaves are slightly bitter. The taste is lovely if you have never tried it.

What is a good substitute for gai lan?

If you cannot find gai lan, feel free to use bok choy or even broccoli.

Why is oil added to the blanching water?

Oil is added to the blanching water to add shine to the leaves and stems once they exit the pot.

Ingredients

1 lb chinese broccoli
2 teaspoon avocado oil
2 tablespoon chinese oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Prepare a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add several good pinches of kosher salt. Add in the oil. Add in gai lan that has been washed to the boiling pot of water. Allow the gai lan to cook for several minutes until the stems are cooked to your liking. I like my stems crunchy, so I cook mine for 2-3 minutes.
While the gai lan is cooking, combine the oyster sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Once the gai lan is removed from the cooking water with tongs, use one tablespoon of cooking water and mix it into the oyster sauce to thin it.
Plate the gai lan and drizzle it with the oyster sauce mixture. Serve immediately.