21 March 2005: Blanched gai lan

Sometime soon I will write a proper review of the Oriental Emporium on Abbey St. Their range of Asian vegetables is beautiful to behold. Last time I was there I bought, amongst other things, a big bag of gai lan, which I then blanched and tossed with a mixture of soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar and sesame oil. Served with a quick stirfry of tofu, flower mushrooms, fresh chilli and coriander, most excellent.

The best part about this dish was working out how easy it is to cook gai lan. Fill a wok with a litre or two of water, and bring to the boil. Add the gai lan and return to a simmer. Immediately turn off the heat, and let the greens sit in the water for 60 seconds, then drain. Toss with sauce and serve at once.

Comments (2)