Often seen rolling around on a dim sum cart, Chinese broccoli, aka gai lan, is a staple restaurant dish that can easily be made ahead of time. Serve cold or hot and with this not too salty recipe with oyster sauce.
This recipe is great to have all year round. I especially like leaving a batch in fridge to snack on in the summer time.
Though you can find gai lan year round in Asian super markets, it is in season in summer and fall.
Serve this hearty green vegetable alongside other Chinese favorites such as egg & tomato stir fry, vegan mapo tofu, or Chinese 'steamed' fish.
Ingredients
Restaurants I've frequented typically serve Chinese broccoli with plain oyster sauce, which can be quite salty.
This dressing is tempered with oil and a touch of sweetness from sweet soy sauce.
- Chinese Broccoli - Aka gai lan, this dark, leafy green is so versatile for stir fries, soups, and side dishes. It's hearty stems and large, flat green leaves are still tender and don't require a lot of cooking time, unlike collard greens.
- Towards the end of the growing season (in summer or late fall), you may see little yellow flowers attached to the stems that indicate the end of the plants' life. The flowers are still edible.
- The stems will vary in thickness, so adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Oyster Sauce - These are often made with MSG, so beware of the ingredients when purchasing.
- Cheaper versions will use imitation oyster flavoring, while more expensive versions will use oyster extract.
- Oil - This is unusual, but adds flavor and helps thin out the saltiness of the oyster sauce.
- I prefer using a nice olive oil, but use the oil of your choice, such as avocado, coconut, or peanut.
- Sweet Soy Sauce - I use kecap manis, the Indonesian sweet soy sauce but comes in a Chinese version called 'sweet soy sauce,' which is similar.
- Used in this recipe for color, since the oil will lighten with oyster sauce.
- Do not substitute with sugar, as it will actually make the sauce even saltier. Omit if you don't have it.
- Hot Water - This helps thin out the sauce and emulsify the oil into the oyster sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
If you can't find the above ingredients, here are some suggesions:
- Instead of Chinese broccoli, you could use regular broccoli or broccolini. Broccoli rabe, aka rapini, would be nice too if you don't mind its bitter notes.
- For a vegetarian/vegan version, you could also use hoisin sauce, mushroom oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce.
Instructions
The method is simple and just requires blanching green veg and making side sauce.
- Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil. While you're waiting: 1) mix the oyster sauce dressing together, and 2) trim of the stems of the Chinese broccoli.
- Step 2: Put the Chinese broccoli into boiling water, and cook for 2-4 minutes until the stems are crisp tender or al dente and not mushy.
- You can cover it, to help the water come back to a gentle simmer to help the stems cook faster.
- Step 4: Drain the Chinese broccoli and shock in ice water or run over cold water until room temperature.
- Step 5: Remove as much water as you can from the stems before arranging on a serving platter. You can also shake off excess water or dry gently with a clean towel.
- Step 6: Arrange the Chinese broccoli on a plate, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle on the reserved dressing right before serving.
Pro Tip: In high end Chinese restaurants, this will be served on a bed of ice, an honor usually reserved for seafood.
Variations
I've never seen variations of this dish in restaurants, but you could definitely try out a couple different versions:
- Spicy - Add hot sauce to the dressing for a spicy version.
- Garlicky - Use a garlic infused oil or add a teaspoon of minced garlic to the dressing for a garlicky punch.
Storage
This dish will last for up to a week in the refrigerator, but keep the dressing separate.
The oil may separate out from the oyster sauce, but you can whisk it back together with some hot water.
Helpful Tips
- Instead of Chinese broccoli, you could use broccolini, broccoli rabe (or rapini) which has a slight bitter taste), or regular broccoli florets.
- Instead of oyster sauce, you could use vegetarian oyster sauce, vegetarian mushroom stir fry sauce, or hoisin sauce. (Omit the sweet soy sauce if using hoisin sauce, since it is quite sweet already).
- Sweet soy sauce mostly adds color, so it looks more like straight oyster sauce. However, you can omit this ingredient if you don't have it. The Indonesian version is called kecap manis, while the Chinese versions will just say 'Sweet Soy Sauce' on the label.
- Remove as much water as you can after the Chinese broccoli is cooked, so it doesn't leave wet puddle on the serving plate.
- You can plate, cover, and refrigerate the broccoli ahead of time. Drizzle on the sauce before serving.
- If you make the sauce ahead of time, the oil will eventually separate from the oyster sauce. Use a little hot water to whisk it back into an emulsion.
- To make this extra fancy, serve the chilled broccoli on a bed of ice, so they stay extra cold on the table. (This is how it is served in fine Chinese restaurants.)
- Leftover oyster sauce dressing can be used as a stir fry sauce for an easy vegetable side dish!
Related Side Dishes
Looking for other side dishes? Try these:
Pairing
Here are some seafood dishes to serve with this Chinese broccoli side dish:
Make Ahead Chilled Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce
Often found rolling around alongside dumplings on a dim sum cart, this leafy green with a thick stem is a staple Chinese dish that can easily be made ahead and in under 15 minutes.
Servings 4
Calories 98kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb chinese broccoli See Note 1 for substitutes
Oyster Sauce Dressing
- 2 Tb oyster sauce See Note 2 for vegetarian substitutes
- ¼ c olive oil or oil of your choice such as avocado or coconut
- 1 Tb hot water to help thin out and emulsify the sauce
- 1 TB sweet soy sauce See Note 3 for details, or omit if you don't have it on hand
Instructions
- Bring at least 2 qt of water to a boil.
- While you're waiting for the water to boil, trim off the tips of the Chinese broccoli spears. Make the oyster sauce dressing.
- Drop the Chinese broccoli in the boiling water. Blanch for 2-4 minutes, just until the the thickest part of the stem is cooked but still crunchy. It should not be completely soft but can be pierced with a paring knife with some ease.
- Drain the Chinese broccoli and run under cold water. (Alternatively, you can drain and serve the spears warm.)
- Shake off excess water from the broccoli spears. Arrange on a serving plate.
- Drizzle over the oyster sauce dressing, or serve in a separate bowl for each to dip their own.
Oyster Sauce Dressing
- For the dressing, gradually whisk in olive oil into the oyster sauce. Add dark soy sauce and hot water to thin out the sauce to a more pourable consistency.
- This dressing is strong, so use sparingly. However, it's not as salty as straight oyster sauce this dish is usually served with in restaurants.
Notes
- Instead of Chinese broccoli, you could use broccolini, broccoli rabe (or rapini) which has a slight bitter taste), or regular broccoli florets.
- Instead of oyster sauce, you could use vegetarian oyster sauce, vegetarian mushroom stir fry sauce, or hoisin sauce. (Omit the sweet soy sauce if using hoisin sauce, since it is quite sweet already).
- Sweet soy sauce mostly adds color, so it looks more like straight oyster sauce. However, you can omit this ingredient if you don't have it. The Indonesian version is called kecap manis, while the Chinese versions will just say 'Sweet Soy Sauce' on the label.
- Remove as much water as you can after the Chinese broccoli is cooked, so it doesn't leave wet puddle on the serving plate.
- You can plate, cover, and refrigerate the broccoli ahead of time. Drizzle on the sauce before serving.
- If you make the sauce ahead of time, the oil will eventually separate from the oyster sauce. Use a little hot water to whisk it back into an emulsion.
- To make this extra fancy, serve the chilled broccoli on a bed of ice, so they stay extra cold on the table. (This is how it is served in fine Chinese restaurants.)
- Leftover oyster sauce dressing can be used as a stir fry sauce for an easy vegetable side dish!
Fortune Cookie 🥠
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius
afra says
Lovely! Made it as part of a big Chinese spread and it was a great fresh contrast. Thanks for the inspiration!
asiantestkitchen@gmail.com says
Great to hear Afra! Thanks for trying the recipe!