A classic of Wenzhou home cooking where crisp green vegetables are stir-fried in lard with a generous amount of julienned ginger. A simple, fragrant, and comforting dish.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Choy sum
- 1 piece Fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp Lard
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 pinch Brown sugar
- to taste Fine salt
- as needed Water
Method
- Thoroughly rinse the choy sum under cold water to remove any grit. Trim the stem ends and separate the stems from the leaves, then cut the stems diagonally on a bias and keep the leaves whole. Pat dry gently.
- Peel the fresh ginger and cut into fine matchsticks using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Set aside on the cutting board.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When it begins to smoke lightly, add the lard and let it melt until liquid and translucent.
- Add the ginger matchsticks to the hot fat. Stir constantly to sweat them until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges.
- Add the choy sum stems to the wok first. Stir-fry briskly over high heat, tossing constantly with a spatula or wok toss until glossy and beginning to soften.
- Toss in the choy sum leaves. Continue stir-frying to coat them in the cooking fat until wilted and reduced in volume.
- Deglaze with the Shaoxing wine, swirling it around the sides of the wok. Let the alcohol cook off quickly while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Season with the salt and sugar. Continue to stir-fry to evenly coat the vegetables, adding a splash of water if the wok becomes too dry to create a little steam.
- Taste a stem to check for doneness: it should be tender yet retain a pleasant crispness. Remove from the heat immediately to stop the cooking.
- Transfer neatly to a shallow bowl, letting the ginger matchsticks sit atop the greens. Serve immediately while hot and crisp.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 232.9 kcal
- Protein
- 2.77 g
- Carbohydrate
- 6.06 g
- Fat
- 20.55 g
- Fibre
- 2.91 g
- Calcium
- 2.92 mg
- Iron
- 0.16 mg
- Magnesium
- 3.98 mg
