So this Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with oyster sauce is one of our “Grandma Series” dishes (as in, we photographed this recipe while she was here cooking), but grandma can’t really get credit for this one because it’s so easy and ubiquitous.
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce is a common dish that you’ll find in a lot of Chinese homes or restaurants. If you’ve ever been to a dim sum place, this is often one of the only the green vegetable dishes that comes around on the carts. It makes for a really easy, healthy side dish.
You can find regular Chinese broccoli, as well as the more tender baby Chinese broccoli. Either is fine, but with the larger variety, you’re going to want to cut off and peel the ends, because they can be tough (similar to asparagus).
Look for vegetables that are deep green without yellow leaves or flowers, as this is an indication that they’re a bit old or have been sitting out on the supermarket floor too long. Soak the veg in cold water a couple times to get rid of the sand and grit that might be in between the leaves.
The main flavor agent here is the oyster sauce, which…doesn’t taste like oysters. But it’s a really great topping for the veg.
Recipe Instructions
Boil 2 quarts of water in your wok or a large pot and add the oil directly to the water.
When the water reaches a good raging boil, place the Chinese leafy broccoli in the water carefully so as not to splash. Depending on how much you have, you may want to work in two batches.
Use tongs or a pair of chopsticks to submerge the “Gai Lan” veggies completely and cook for a couple minutes, until tender but still a bit crunchy. If you like the veggies soft, leave them in a bit longer.
Use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to take the veggies out of the water. Carefully shake off excess liquid and arrange the Chinese broccoli on a plate. Once they are all on the plate, you can drain any excess water that may have pooled on the plate.
Drizzle a couple tablespoons oyster sauce evenly over the Gai Lan veggies and serve!
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh Chinese broccoli (trimmed and washed)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- oyster sauce
Instructions
- Boil 2 quarts of water in your wok or a large pot and add the oil directly to the water.
- When the water reaches a good raging boil, place the stalks in the water carefully so as not to splash. Depending on how much you have, you may want to work in two batches.
- Use tongs or a pair of chopsticks to submerge the veggies completely and cook for a couple minutes, until tender but still a bit crunchy. If you like the veggies soft, leave them in a bit longer.
- Use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to take the veggies out of the water. Carefully shake off excess liquid and arrange the Chinese broccoli on a plate. Once they are all on the plate, you can drain any excess water that may have pooled on the plate.
- Drizzle a couple tablespoons oyster sauce evenly over the veggies and serve!
I grow this lovely veggie in my garden here in Oregon. It’s one the very best things that make their way to our table. AND they are the easiest of all to grow!!! Thanks for this super easy and tasty way to serve GaiLan!
Wow Chris, awesome that you can grow it yourself! We have tried, but I think our soil here in NJ is bad no matter how much we enrich and add fertilizer – they always seem to shoot prematurely. Maybe I just don’t have a green thumb lol but glad you can enjoy this simple recipe :)
Hello! Do you have a recipe for these but with no oyster sauce? I had it at a dim sum place and the sauce was more of a white color. Thank you! I love this page!
Hi Art, we don’t have a specific recipe for a white sauce like you describe, but you could use the same ingredients to make the sauce used in our moo goo gai pan to top off your Chinese broccoli.
Hi, can you please tell me what type of frying pan you are using? Thanks.
Hi Caro, we use carbon steel woks for most of our Chinese cooking but also love to use cast iron skillets.
Does oyster sauce need to be cooked?
Hi Lu, there is no need to cook the oyster sauce for this dish. Just so you know, oyster sauce needs to be refrigerated after opening.
This looks fresh and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Riya!
Looks so good. I miss simple cooking like this…my grandma used to make simple veggie dishes like this too. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday.
Yes, simple whole foods are the best!
请问这是菜心还是介兰呢
芥兰！