Stir-Fried Cải Ngọt
Cải ngọt is the Vietnamese name for yu choy, a wonderful vegetable similar in appearance to Chinese broccoli (gai lan) but with slender stems that are incredibly tender and leaves that taste more like spinach than bitter Asian greens. I happen to love cải ngọt and prepare it very simply by stir-frying it with a bit of garlic and chili then flash steaming it with water or broth. If you cannot find cải ngọt, Chinese broccoli can be substituted though you need to discard the tough ends of the stems.• 1 lb cải ngọt• 2 tablespoons high smoke-point oil (e.g., vegetable or peanut oil)• 1 teaspoon sesame oil• 4 cloves of garlic, minced• 1 fresh Thai chili pepper, minced• 1/3 cup water or brothHeat the two oils in your largest sauté pan set over high heat. When the oil is hazy add the garlic and chili and stir until fragrant, just a few seconds. Next add the cải ngọt and try to fold the garlicky oil into the greens. A spatula works well for this. After about a minute add the water to the hot pan, give it a stir and place a lid over the pan. In quick bursts, move the pan back and forth over the burner to distribute the water and to get a good steam going. Allow the cải ngọt to steam for just a few minutes, lift the lid (be careful of the steam) and test a thick stem for doneness: it should still have some crunch but not be totally raw. Immediately transfer to a serving bowl.
Note: The boyfriend always asks how big to chop vegetables. My reply is always, “When you had something similar at a restaurant, what did it look like?” Think ‘bite-size’ but the key to a perfect stir-fry is uniform pieces. In the case of vegetables like cải ngọt or Chinese broccoli, cut stem pieces smaller than leafy pieces so they’re all done at the same time.He’ll then ask how I know when the vegetables are done cooking. Simple: when in doubt, TASTE! There’s nothing wrong with a little QC in the kitchen.
