February already! In less than a month I will be hugging and kissing on my grandson who’s turning one in March. This Friday marks the beginning of Carnival here in Spain leading up to Ash Wednesday and the start of la Cuaresma (Lent). In the middle of the frenzy, Monday is the Chinese New Year: the Year of the Red Fire Monkey. We celebrated early and made an awesome Garlic and Ginger Bok Choy courtesy of our friend Juan, who owns the local Asian market.
Juan’s parents migrated to Spain from Taiwan in the 1980s and own what’s commonly considered the best Chinese restaurant in the area, Restaurante Formosa. His mother, Rosa, took a shine to Rick and whenever we visit the restaurant we’re treated like VIPs. I can only compare to my experience with American style Chinese food, but what we are served is both familiar and different. They don’t serve rice on the side, for example, and the sauces are not as sweet. The names of the dishes are similar. Can you guess what rollitos de Primavera and wan tun frito are?
Thanks to the store, it’s easy to purchase the Asian ingredients we need. They carry a variety of fresh Chinese vegetables and other Asian products like sauces, teas, canned goods and spices. We’re in there several times a month for bean sprouts which we use instead of rice when making a stir fry. The last time we visited Juan had just received a shipment of bok choy and described to us how his wife cooked it at home, with slices of garlic and ginger.
Maria, Juan’s wife, is also second generation and her family owns one of the many “China” stores that sell a little bit of everything, much like a Family Dollar or Dollar General. They also have two children. The Chinese community in Spain is about 200 thousand strong (although it’s not clear to me if they are counting people like Juan who are considered Spanish because they were born here or adopted into Spanish families). They form a major segment of the economy running restaurants and shops as mentioned, but also distributorships, day spas and gaming salons. Some, like Juan grow up to take over or expand the family business but nowadays more are choosing to attend university and become professionals. (Read more on Wikipedia and this article from El País).
What to look for when buying baby bok choy and fresh ginger
The leaves on baby bok choy should be bright green and unwilted. Some dirt is fine, but there shouldn’t be major damage. To prepare for cooking, remove any damaged leaves and trim the stem end. If desired, slice in half then gently rinse in cold water. Bok choy can also be eaten raw, which makes it nice for slicing into a salad with other greens.
Ginger will vary in shape but the skin should be relatively smooth and thin rather than fibrous. The ginger should have a nice, pungent smell. Unless it has been packaged, you should be able to easily break off what you need. To peel, use the edge of a spoon to scrape away the skin. Ginger can be stored in a zip top bag in the fridge or in the freezer if you don’t use it frequently.
Garlic and Ginger Bok Choy makes an easy weeknight meal when served over rice
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce I used tamari
- 4 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise, root and leaves trimmed
- 1/4 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a wok or large skillet or dutch oven
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a couple minutes, taking care the garlic doesn't burn
- Add the tamari, then the bok choy, turning to coat in the oil and seasoning.
- Add 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan with a lid. Steam the bok choy until the stem end is tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
- Make a slurry of the cornstarch with some water. Push the bok choy to the sides and pour the slurry into the center, stirring to make a sauce. It should thicken and become glossy.
- Remove the bok choy to a platter, pour the sauce over top and garnish with the sesame seeds.
If you like this recipe, you might want to give these Honey Walnut Shrimp a try:
Fantastic. We all loved i
Thanks Lisa for taking the time to let me know. Have a great week!
So yummy and easy! Will definitely make this again!
Really really good. And super easy!!!
I’m glad it worked out for you and you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
This is a recipe I almost make weekly! And actually for breakfast with a over easy egg on top….thanks for the idea…it is my families go to now for breakfast:)
Thanks for letting me know, Avrey. Sometimes we serve it with an egg, too. Have a great week!
When I made it the corn starch clumped up, and I couldn’t save it. I didn’t have a lid that fit, so I just draped tin foil over it, and it was a cheap pan I used. Idk if that is what messed me up.
Do you have any tips?
Callie, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. I don’t think your equipment was the problem. Next time you could try adding a little more water to the corn starch before adding it to the pan. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of cornstarch, so start with a tablespoon of water. You don’t have to be precise in measuring the water, you’re aiming for something that can be poured but still a little pasty. If your sauce is then too runny, you can cook it a little longer to let it reduce; too thick and you can add water a tablespoon or so at a time to thin it. Good luck!
I make this all the time thanks to your recipe! So delicious and easy way to make this side dish. I serve it with peanut noodles and tofu. Thanks!
I am very glad to hear this Deepika 🙂 Love the idea of serving it with peanut noodles and tofu. We love them, too. Thank you for letting me know.
REALLY REALLY GOOD!
Thanks so much for letting me know! I really appreciate it 🙂
I’m trying to buy new veggies for my husband and I to try. Never had bok choy before. He thought this was pretty good but thought the boy choy had a little bit of an after taste. I didn’t notice it. I’m in love with this! The sauce is so perfect. And I actually forgot the sesame seeds 🙁 bummer cuz I love them. Will definitely make again WITH the seeds and I bet it’ll be even better!
Glad you liked it! The sauce is good with other veggies, too.
Yum!! I’ve never worked with baby bok choy, only the big stuff but these look really tasty! I’ve been making more and more Asian inspired dishes lately and my husband and I have loved it. Hopefully I can find the baby bok choy in one of our markets to add to our next Asian night!
If you can’t find it I’m sure you can adapt the recipe for the regular bok choy. Enjoy!
Garlic and ginger are two of my favourite ingredients! This sounds and looks really good ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thanks, Summer! I like bok choy all by itself, but the sauce really jazzed it up 🙂
Love ginger and garlic! One of the world’s best combos. Add some sesame seeds, and I’m in heaven. This is really, really good — thanks.
The sesame seeds make the dish, in my opinion. 🙂 Thanks!
If you can’t find bak choy, can something like cabbage e substituted?
Absolutely!
Yes. Napa cabbage would be a good substitute or you could shred white cabbage and add the sauce after sauteing it until tender.