Sautéed Baby Bok Choy with Sesame Oil and Garlic

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Instead of sautéing whole heads of baby bok choy, a vegetable that is nearly impossible to cook evenly, we decided to treat it like two different vegetables. We started by coarsely chopping the top dark leaves and snapping off the stalks. After washing the stalks and leaves to remove their grit, we spun them dry in a salad spinner. We then lightly charred the stalks in a ripping-hot nonstick skillet. Finally, we added the leaves along with sesame oil and garlic for a delicious side dish that cooks in less than 7 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds baby bok choy
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon table salt

KEY EQUIPMENT

• 12-Inch Nonstick Skillet
• Chef's Knive

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Bok choy can sometimes be sandy near the inner base of the head. Look for this sand when you're separating the stalks and make sure to remove it during rinsing. Look for heads of bok choy that weigh 4 to 6 ounces each.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut dark green leaves from bok choy stalks. Chop leaves coarse. Place leaves in large bowl and cover with water; swish around to remove sand. Remove leaves from water, transfer to salad spinner, and spin dry; transfer leaves to clean bowl and set aside.
2. Cut off bottom ¼ inch of bok choy base and discard. Pull bok choy stalks downward to snap off at base until you reach core; discard core. Repeat washing and spinning with stalks. Pat stalks dry with paper towels if still wet.
3. Combine sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add stalks, sprinkle with salt, and cook, without stirring, until beginning to brown on bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until stalks are just tender, about 1 minute longer.
4. Add leaves and sesame oil mixture and cook, turning constantly with tongs, until leaves are wilted, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and season bok choy with salt to taste. Transfer to platter and serve.