Easy Greens with Garlic and Oyster Sauce
You've made a nice meal, but it's a bit short on greens, and you're short on time. No problem! This tasty dish takes minutes to make, can be made with most greens (even lettuce) and looks beautiful!
I discovered this dish one year when I was trying to figure out a way to make use of spinach and lettuce that had bolted, and was no longer good for use in salads. This recipe was the solution - but it also goes great with many types of greens. If you don’t like oysters - don’t worry - I’ll explain why that doesn’t matter below.
Ingredients
Bowl of greens (enough for a big salad). Most Asian greens work fine (e.g. bok choy, pak choy, napa, etc.) but other things like spinach and lettuce work great too.
1 tbsp oil
1-2 cloves garlic (add more if you want more)
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
Directions:
Fill a pot with about 6 cups of water, add a dash or two of salt (about 1/2 tsp), and bring it to a boil.
While the pot of water is heating up, wash and prepare greens. They do not have to be cut up - in fact I usually use the whole leaves, which makes it easier to do the prep, and they make a nice presentation when served.
Place a small pan on medium heat & add the oil.
Mince the garlic as fine as possible - then sauté it in the oil for about 3 seconds.
Add water, oyster sauce and soy sauce to the pan, and bring it all to a hard boil - then shut off the heat.
The sauce needs to come to a hard boil so that the flavors combine properly, and so that it has the right texture to stick to the greens. The pot of water should be boiling by now, so add the greens and leave them in until boiling resumes - which should take less than a minute.
Remove the greens from the pot, drain, then arrange them on a serving plate.
Pour the sauce evenly over the greens, and voila, a beautiful healthy side-dish.
Great for wilted greens
You bought a head of lettuce over a week ago and it was forgotten at the back of the fridge. Or, you see semi-expired lettuce at the grocery store for less than half price - but it’s obviously no good for a salad… but what a bargain. No problem, this recipe will save it from the compost bin and make it a wonderful addition to your meal.
Great for bolted greens
Bolted greens tend to have a bitter taste due to chemicals that build up in foliage when plants start to flower. Thankfully, blanching will remove some of these chemicals, and the bitterness will be reduced.
It’s still good for you!
It is true that the nutrients in vegetables can be lost from cooking, and especially from boiling. With that having been said, it is surprising when you look at the numbers how little is lost from boiling for many things - and even the things that are often lost - like some vitamins- are not completely lost. It’s also the case that it all tends to work out just fine because most people will eat more cooked greens in a single setting than they will raw greens, because they are easier to chew and digest (and they also taste better sometimes). Don’t believe me? Read this article for more details.
But I don’t like oysters!
I’m a big fan of raw and cooked oysters - and I can say with 100% confidence, oyster sauce tastes nothing like oysters. The oyster extract simply contributes to the “umami” aspect of the sauce, and there is usually sugar, salt and soy sauce added too - so it is an all around flavor-enhancer. Buy a small jar and keep it in your fridge. If you are anything like me, you’ll be buying the large jars in no time!
Why this works
I know the idea of boiled greens sounds wrong - but I don’t care what anyone says - many greens have a bitterness to them, and some are downright inedible in a salad unless they are drenched with a rich sugary salad dressing. The quick blanching technique used in this recipe solves that problem. The oyster sauce adds umami and sweetness, and of course the garlic takes it to the next level. I usually serve this as a side-dish with a stir-fry when I think the stir-fry doesn’t have enough veg - but honestly it’s so good, I’d serve it as a side with a steak dinner any time. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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Here’s how to make it: