by Joyce Peters
When I was growing up in New York City, ages ago, my Chinese- American family did not eat much broccoli. It just wasn’t available in our neighborhood stores. When we did have it, my grandfather would discard the florets and slice the stems for his stir fries. Broccoli is not a Chinese vegetable yet it is now a staple in most Chinese-American restaurants because it is readily available, holds up well to the high heat of stir-frying and even stays firm on steam tables. Of course, it’s delicious and is at its best eaten fresh off the wok.
Broccoli is one of those nutrient powerhouses that make up the cruciferous family. For a good source of any nutrient except fat and protein, broccoli is always a good bet.
Takeout Style Broccoli with Garlic Sauce – A Chinese American restaurant favorite
adapted from the wonderful Wokoflife.com
1 pound broccoli cut into florets
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (This is mostly for color; if you don’t have this, add more soy sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar or sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup hot chicken or vegetable stock (to keep the dish vegetarian)
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I prefer peanut oil for its high smoking point)
4 cloves minced garlic (about a tablespoon)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 1½ tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon chili oil or Sriracha (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash the broccoli thoroughly and set aside to dry. Mix the soy sauces, rice wine vinegar, sugar, stock, sesame oil, and ground white pepper, and set aside.
Heat the wok over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, garlic, and broccoli and quickly stir-fry so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Stir fry for 15 seconds, and add the Shaoxing rice wine around the perimeter of the wok. (This burns off the alcohol and adds flavor). Give everything a quick stir and add in the sauce mixture. Let the sauce come to a boil, and mix the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. You can turn the heat down slightly and cook the broccoli a bit longer before adding the corn starch slurry if you like your broccoli softer. Try a stem piece and bite to determine doneness.
If you like your broccoli softer, add the cornstarch slurry slowly while stirring the broccoli and sauce constantly. Let the sauce cook and thicken until it coats the back of a spoon. If you like a thick sauce, add more cornstarch and water. If you like your sauce thinner, add less cornstarch and water. If you’d like, stir in the chili oil at this point.
Serve!
Notes:
If you don’t have a wok, a large frying pan will do. The high sides of a wok will result in less splatter. Since stir frying uses high heat, avoid non-stick pans.
After washing and cutting broccoli, dry thoroughly otherwise you will get a steamed product rather than a fried one.
If you want to use the stems, slice diagonally and cut into sticks. You can parboil them or cook a little longer in the stir fry by adding them first for about a minute, then adding the florets. Follow the recipe as usual.
How to tell if your broccoli is fresh – look where the broccoli is trimmed from the stem. It should be white and moist-looking. Look for bright green florets.
