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Soy-Braised Baby Bok Choy with Scallions

Soy-Braised Baby Bok Choy with Scallions

By Calvin CoxNovember 9, 2021

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes
  • Rating

In traditional recipes for Chinese soy-braised greens, the greens are likely to be blanched before they’re quickly cooked with ingredients that supply high-impact flavor. In this recipe, however, we stir-fry baby bok choy with aromatics, then braise them in a mixture of Shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce, with sugar for sweetness and sesame oil for nuttiness. A few minutes of uncovered cooking drives off excess moisture, leaving the greens meltingly tender and coated in a light savory-sweet sauce. Serve with steamed fish or spooned atop a bowl of rice.

Tip

Don’t forget to wash the bok choy, as the inner leaves often trap dirt or sand. But make sure to drain and dry so it browns rather than steams when it hits the hot skillet.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 2

    pounds baby bok choy, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

  • 1

    bunch scallions, whites thinly sliced, greens thinly sliced on the diagonal, reserved separately

  • 1

    tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 2

    medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 3

    tablespoons Shaoxing wine OR dry sherry OR sake

  • 3

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1

    tablespoon packed light brown sugar OR white sugar

  • 2

    teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the neutral oil until shimmering.

Add the bok choy and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

Reduce to medium and stir in the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, then immediately cover. Cook until the bok choy is tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 2

Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is lightly thickened and the bok choy is fully tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the scallion greens.