Garlic & Soy Sauce Bok Choy

This recipe is derived from a similar one from The Forked Spoon.

Ingredients

  • Oil (for the wok)
  • Baby Bok Choy (in quarters): as much as you feel like eating
  • Garlic (minced): about a clove for every 2 heads of bok choy
  • Shallot (chopped small): about one for every 4 heads of bok choy
  • Soy Sauce: maybe a tablespoon for every 2 heads of bok choy
  • Sesame Oil: half a teaspoon for every 2 heads
  • Crushed Red Pepper

I start with as much Bok Choy as I feel like eating and scale the recipe for that. Today, cooking for myself, I had 3 smallish heads of bok choy for a fairly large side. With that, I had 2 cloves of garlic and one smallish shallot. I don’t think it’s the end of the world to have too much garlic or shallot, since you can just eat the extra.

Steps

  1. Prep. Finely chop the garlic and shallots, and cut the bok choy into quarters. Once cut, wash the bok choy well, it can be surprisingly dirty. Get your soy sauce and sesame oil bottles out and open. Heat the wok, and get a lid that at least somewhat fits the wok ready (I use a 12-inch lid for my 14-inch wok, it works fine).
  2. Fry aromatics. Heat the wok over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add and swirl a bit of oil to coat the inside. Add the garlic and shallots, and drop the heat to medium to make sure they don’t burn. Stir a bit for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the rest. Add the bok choy, drizzle over the soy sauce (I don’t think the exact amount matters too much, it’s the primary flavor here), and add a bit of sesame oil. Stir everything together and cover.
  4. Let it steam. Let it cook over medium heat for a minute or two, then give it another stir and replace the cover. Let it cook for around 5 minutes for a wilted look like the one in the picture. If you want it crunchier, cut a couple minutes off.
  5. Garnish and serve. Sprinkle enough red pepper to satisfy your desired spice level and serve. I think it’s best to eat it pretty soon after it comes out of the wok.
  6. Enjoy!