Fried Garlicky Bok Choy

Article By: Krissy Downey  

Bok choy comes into season in the spring and fall. There are a few different ways to cook it; the Food Network test kitchen tried all of them, and this simple 15-minute technique is our favorite. It involves quickly stir-frying the bok choy with garlic, ginger, a splash of Shaoxing wine and savory chicken bouillon. At Chinese restaurants, adult bok choy is typically blanched until just-tender or sliced thinly for stir fries, but we prefer to split heads of tender baby bok choy in half. Just be sure to rinse your bok choy thoroughly, as sand and grit can hide between the leaves.

What Is Bok Choy?

Bok choy (“baak coi” in Cantonese) is a popular variety of Chinese cabbage. Its delicate flavor and distinctive combination of soft green leaves and crispy white base may remind you of a cross between spinach and cabbage. It is bitter with slightly sweet undertones, making it the perfect vegetable to pair with ingredients like garlic and ginger. There are several different variations of bok choy, but this recipe simply uses baby bok choy. Baby bok choy is essentially the same thing as regular bok choy, it is just harvested earlier, making it smaller, sweeter and tenderer. It is usually available at grocery stores, but your local Asian supermarket is sure to always have it in stock.

Types of Bok Choy

1. Large or regular bok choy: This variety has long white tough stems and dark leafy greens. In Chinese cuisine, it’s often sliced thinly and used in soups. We don’t recommend using large/regular bok choy as it will take longer to become tender.

1. Dwarf or baby bok choy: This type is the smaller cousin to the large bok choy with dark green crinkly leaves and white stem. They can be found in Asian supermarkets. These are perfect for this simple and quick side dish.

1. Shanghai baby bok choy: This bok choy is typically used in Chinese restaurants for dishes like Braised shitake mushrooms over bok choy. It has green leaves and light green stem about 3 to 4 inches in length. If you’d like to use it in this recipe, we recommend taking the leaves off individually then proceeding to the same process of washing and cooking.

How to Cook Bok Choy Like a Pro

Thoroughly clean the bok choy. Bok choy’s leaves tend to harbor unwanted sand and grit, so washing your bok choy is absolutely essential. The best way to do this is to soak the bok choy in ice-cold water for 2 to 4 minutes, occasionally shaking out the leaves to release any grit. More grime might be hiding at the base of the leaves toward the stem, so it is important to also gently open up the leaves to clean every crevice.

Get your wok very hot. Stir-frying is a cooking method that is all about a hot pan and constant stirring. It should be hot enough that the bok choy immediately sizzles when it hits the pan and quickly starts to get some color. You want the garlic and bok choy to start to brown very quickly, but don’t worry: the constant stirring will prevent it from burning.

Use neutral oil. Neutral oil like canola, vegetable or avocado, has a high smoke point, which means that it can get extremely hot without burning. Since stir-frying involves high heat, it is best to use a neutral oil to avoid any premature smoking or burning, which creates an unpleasant, bitter flavor. Olive oil is not a neutral oil, and it has a much lower smoke point, so avoid it when stir-frying.

What to Serve with Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Stir-fried bok choy is just as good of a weeknight staple as it is a dinner party treat. It pairs wonderfully with other Chinese and Chinese-American dishes such as, Char Siu, Salt and Pepper Tofu and Drunken Chicken. Look for dishes that also use ginger, garlic and Shaoxing wine to compliment the flavors of the Stir-Fried Garlicky Bok Choy.