Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce
Fresh Healthy Greens with a Savory Sauce
Choy sum with oyster sauce is a favorite of many Cantonese families. For home-styled choy sum, many Cantonese people choose to blanch choy sum, as it will result in a light, refreshing flavor that is not oily.
Blanching
Cantonese cooking reveres dishes that are light but still retain their flavor, and blanching is a great way to achieve this. Blanched choy sum seems like a simple dish to make, but it can be difficult to get just right. The chef must ensure the choy sum retains its green luster and crisp texture, and the seasoning must not overpower the natural flavor of the vegetable itself. Blanching choy sum doesn’t use any oil either, so the chef can preserve the nutrients inside the vegetable.
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Ingredients
- 7 ounces (200 grams) choy sum
Seasonings
- 2 stalks hotbed chives
- 1 green chili pepper
- 1 carrot (medium)
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 milliliters) oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) white sugar
- salt to taste
- peanut oil to taste
Please see measurements in grams to be more exact for all ingredients and seasonings.
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Wash choy sum. Remove stems. Wash hotbed chives and remove the white bits on their stems, then cut into thin strips. Wash green chili peppers and cut into thin strips. Peel carrot, wash, and cut into thin strips.
How to blanch choy sum
- Add an appropriate amount of water to pot. After boiling on high heat, add a dash of salt and peanut oil. Place choy sum in a colander, then use a spoon to continuously scoop scalding water over the choy sum, blanching it until it is well cooked. Strain water and place all of the choy sum on a plate.
- Tip: Adding salt and peanut oil to the water will give the choy sum a deep green color and a crisp texture. This technique is also used when blanching other kinds of vegetables.
How to make the seasoning juice
- Mix together light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Then add a bit of water to make the seasoning juice.
- Heat pan. Add a bit of peanut oil and heat to a low temperature, then add in the seasoning juice and bring to a boil.
Put it all together
- Sprinkle an appropriate amount of green chili pepper strips, carrot strips, and hotbed chive strips on top of the choy sum. Sprinkle the seasoning juice evenly over it all and serve.