Gai Lan w. Oyster Sauce
gai lan (chinese broccoli) is one of those vegetables that needs almost nothing to be incredible 🥦✨ blanched until tender-crisp, topped with golden sliced garlic, ginger, and a drizzle of oyster sauce — it's the side dish that goes with literally everything. honestly the simplest thing on the plate and somehow the first thing to disappear. 🫶
Ingredients
1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), ends trimmed
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 knob fresh ginger, sliced or grated
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp ground white pepper
splash of water
Serves 2
Prep time ~10mins
Cook time ~10mins
Cooking Instructions
WASH YOUR VEGGIES
Remove the smaller leaves and use a peeler to peel the ends of the gai lan — this removes the toughness of the stem
Wash 2-3 times and dry with a towel or a salad spinner
Blanch the gai lan
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gai lan and blanch for 1 min until bright green and just tender. Drain and set aside.
Make the sauce
Heat neutral oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2–3 min until golden and fragrant. Watch closely — garlic burns fast.
Add a splash of water to the pan to deglaze, then stir in oyster sauce sesame oil and white pepper. Cook 30 seconds until the sauce comes together.
Finish & serve
Turn off the heat, add the gai lan into the pan and toss gentle until full coated
Serve immediately alongside rice and your protein of choice.
Tips & Notes
Don't over-blanch — gai lan should be bright green and still have a bite to the stems.
Slice garlic thin and keep the heat at medium — golden garlic is the goal, not brown or bitter.
Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce is the one — a staple in my fridge.
Also works just as well with bok choy!