Choy sum with garlic & butter braised broccolini

I love trying new vegetables even though there is a voice in my head that tells me I must only buy it if I intend to use it straight away. Too many purchases of new, pretty or interesting vegetables that are left to rot has made me wary and experienced enough to know that there must be a goal in mind. In this case, a large packet of the Chinese green Choy Sum, came with an interesting recipe on the back, so I decided that I was safe as long I at least had the intention to cook them that evening. 

I have grown these in a pot on the balcony with some success, the yellow edible flower the main draw for me. Along with packs of mixed stir fry greens and 'oriental' vegetables, these kinds of plants seem to give the least trouble and happily grow through our rainy climate and cool Springs. The taste is mild, somewhat like spinach and along with the multi-coloured Swiss Chard Bright Lights, with candy coloured stalks of pink, red, yellow and orange, they all look beautiful together lightly steamed or stir fried and dressed with lemon, salt and butter, maybe a little garlic powder or paprika dusted over with a light hand.

In the UK, in Spring, we have a vegetable that is as revered as the first, tender stalks of asparagus in May and June. It is a hybrid of the brassica family and not easily found here in Vancouver. The picture above is broccolette or broccolini, not the purple sprouting kind I thought I had finally found. 

Broccolette is a cross between broccoli and Chinese Gai Lan which is why it has those long thin arms instead of the usual central head. Purple Sprouting Broccoli is sweet and delicate and very tender and many cookbooks will give you lists of how to prepare this simply to enjoy it's fine flavour, maybe lightly steamed and then dressed with some anchovy butter or poached in butter and oil with some salt and lemon juice. This is what I tried with my broccolette and although it was creamy and sweet due to the butter, it certainly didn't meet my initial expectations. The search continues. I did grow it here once, but it took a very long time (2 years) to produce any shoots.  

Recipe : Choy sum with garlic

2 cups choy sum

2 large cloves garlic, whole

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup chicken stock

splash of soy sauce

splash of hot sauce

splash of vinegar

1 tsp sesame seeds

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic cloves. Stir fry over high heat until they are browned but not burnt, then remove with a wooden spoon.

Add the Choy sum to the wok and stir until they are coated with oil. Add the stock and soy sauce and cover.

Cook for 3 minutes until they are bright green, the leaves soft and the stalks still firm and serve with the hot sauce and vinegar and sesame seeds.

Recipe : Butter braised broccolette

1 bunch broccolette 

2 tbsp butter

pinch of salt

Heat the butter until melted in a pan over medium heat and add the broccolette and salt.

Cover the pan and let the vegetable gently sweat for about 8 minutes until fairly soft. 

Serve with the juices poured over.

These recipes are taken from this original post