Overlook Salad—Make This Savory 10-Minute Chinese language Vegetable Facet As an alternative

For so long as I can bear in mind, lettuce with oyster sauce has been a staple in my household’s kitchen. The dish is fast to arrange but deeply flavorful, because of wealthy, savory, and candy oyster sauce balanced with soy sauce, garlic, and a touch of sugar. With just some pantry staples and a head of crisp lettuce, you’ll be able to have a vibrant, tasty aspect dish on the desk in minutes. Every time I really feel homesick however cannot make the lengthy drive to an Asian grocery retailer to select up gai lan (Chinese language broccoli) or tender Shanghai bok choy, I flip to this dish. It is comforting and reliable, and made with substances that the majority American grocery shops maintain in inventory.

Blanching Transforms Lettuce

Lettuce is often eaten uncooked within the West, however that does not imply it is by no means cooked: Grilled romaine Caesar salads, braised lettuce, wilted greens with heat bacon dressing are just some examples. Although the Chinese language method—by which lettuce is shortly blanched and topped with a savory oyster sauce—is a much less acquainted technique of making ready the vegetable within the West, it is no much less rewarding, and is what number of Chinese language households put together lettuce at residence.

Blanching transforms lettuce fully, enhancing the vegetable’s sweetness and softening the leaves whereas abandoning a delicate crunch. The shiny oyster sauce, thickened with simply sufficient cornstarch to assist it cling to the leaves, provides a depth of umami with out overpowering the greens. The result’s clear, easy, and deeply satisfying.

There are numerous methods to make this dish, relying on the family. Some households might want their sauce thicker or sweeter, and others would possibly incorporate contemporary chiles. I want to maintain the aromatics easy, utilizing simply garlic. The sauce is equally unfussy: Oyster sauce types the bottom, mild soy sauce provides salt and umami, and a pinch of sugar rounds it out—no hen inventory, bouillon, or particular broth wanted. This dish is about letting the lettuce and sauce shine.

Blanching takes simply seconds. Use a big pot of boiling water to reduce the temperature drop when including the greens, and since we’re serving the lettuce heat, there isn’t any want for an ice bathtub (one much less bowl to scrub!). As soon as the lettuce wilts, drain it instantly by lifting it with tongs and prepare it on a serving platter.

Selecting and Getting ready the Lettuce

As for lettuce varieties, romaine works finest. It is sturdy sufficient to face up to blanching with out changing into mushy, and it is easy to search out, too. Skip the bagged salad mixes—the chopped or damaged up leaves are sometimes too delicate and will not maintain up in scorching water.

To prep the lettuce, separate the leaves and rinse completely to take away any grit. Don’t fret about drying them fully, as they are going into the blanching water anyway. Simply shake off extra water, trim any bruised or browned spots, and set them apart. Because the cooking course of is lightning-fast, I like to recommend having every little thing prepared earlier than making ready the sauce to make it as fast and straightforward as attainable.

In contrast to many stir-fried vegetable dishes (akin to choy sum with garlic) by which the sauce is shortly constructed within the wok after the greens prepare dinner, this recipe flips the order. As a result of lettuce cooks in seconds, the sauce is ready first, then poured over the blanched greens. This manner, the greens do not overcook whilst you are inclined to the aromatics.

A wok will not be needed—only a small saucepan will do. Gently sweat the garlic over medium warmth till aromatic—do not let it tackle colour—then add the oyster sauce, mild soy sauce, and sugar, and produce to a simmer. Stir in a cornstarch slurry, then let the sauce thicken barely. It must be pourable however nonetheless shiny and thick sufficient to cling to every leaf.

Some recipes name for tossing the blanched lettuce with the sauce in a wok. I do not assume it’s a necessity, because it overcomplicates issues and may mute the contemporary taste of the greens. Pour the sauce over the lettuce, and serve with rice.

Finest Served Contemporary

Leftovers? They’re technically fantastic to serve. The dish might be reheated gently and even eaten chilly, however the texture suffers. That is a kind of recipes finest made contemporary in simply the quantity you intend to eat. Or you might do what I do: Return for seconds and end all of it.

Prepare dinner Mode
(Maintain display awake)