How is baby bok choy cooked in Shanghai?
During many business trips to Shanghai I often had baby bok choy that was served in a thin (unthickened), pale yellow sauce or broth - common in restaurants in Shangai. Very delicious! What kind of sauce would this be? It had a nice flavor, but not distinctly lemony or chicken-brothy or anything I could identify. And how can I cook it this way? Thanks!
Best Answer
I've never cooked or eaten in Shanghai, however, based on a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese cooking, cooking it at home, and with the support of Google, I would guess the following:
Bok choy is blanched for a short time in boiling water, and then refreshed in an ice bath.
It is stir fried in a very hot wok, probably with some garlic.
A slurry of cornstarch is added. It is made with water, soy, perhaps some sesame oil. This produces the light sauce.
I suspect that sometimes, fermented black bean might be added.
Pictures about "How is baby bok choy cooked in Shanghai?"
Is Shanghai bok choy the same as baby bok choy?
Baby Bok Choy has white stalks and dark green, crinkly leaves with a more mineral taste. Shanghai Bok Choy has wide, jade-colored stalks shaped like soupspoons and light green smooth leaves with a more mild, celery-like flavor. Both can be used interchangeably.How do you make Shanghai bok choy?
How do you eat Shanghai bok choy?
Shanghai Bok Choy is a special Baby Bok Choy variety with smooth spoon-shaped leaves and pale green stalks. Like regular Bok Choy, it's entirely edible and excellent in stir-frys, braised, roasted or grilled. It has a mild, sweet cabbage-like flavor.Chinese Stir fry Baby Bok Choy with Garlic-Best Method
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Answer 2
Baby Bok Choy. Is that with the green stem. There is more than 1 type of Bok Choy. It is dropped in boiling salt water for Shanghai stile. About 40 seconds till bright green. Then drained. Sesame oil is used as the base with soy sauce, corn starch. What ever else.It is then glazed in that sauce. 100 ways to make this. So boiled in salt water, green stem Bok Choy, sesame oil used. Shanghai stile. What sauce you had I do not know.
Answer 3
The most common way to cook leafy vegetables in most of southern and southeastern China is probably stir frying, so I'm afraid it's just the liquid left from stir frying (for some reason, the liquid might have been thickened using starch, but that's not very common). It could also be Chinese broth, which wouldn't taste chickeny because the main ingredients would be Jinhua ham and pork bones.
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