A quick sauté with lots of earthy green flavors with funky overtones from the onions and garlic chives. Use this as a side for chicken of pork strips, add tofu, or add some cooked Chinese style noodles.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch mei-quin, leaves and stalks separated, stalks cut lengthwise ¼ inch, leaves cut ½ inch, washed and dries and kept separate
1 bunch mustard greens, stemmed, washed and dried, sliced into ½ inch strips
1 medium-small onion, brown or white, Lyonnaise cut (radially) into 1/8th inch or a little bigger
¼ cup of garlic chives diagonally sliced into ¼ x 1 inch
¼ inch long piece of ginger, thinly sliced into coins, then the coins are sliced into very thin sticks
¼ teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce, preferably shiro (white), artisanal, or low sodium
Pepper to taste (and salt if needed, although the soy should eliminate that need)
Neutral flavored high-heat oil such as grapeseed, avocado, or rice bran, as needed
1 tablespoon high-quality low-moisture butter cut into pea-sized bits.
METHOD:
Heat a wok or very wide -12 to 14 inch- sauté pan or chef’s pan over high heat.
When pan is hot, film with a decent amount of oil. When oil thins and appears to shiver, carefully add the onion. Stir and toss constantly, trying to soften the onions without coloring them. When they seem halfway to being softened and “clear”, add the mei-quin stalks and toss to coat with oil. Cook, continuing to toss and stir to avoid burning. The stalks should turn to a brighter, jade-like green, and the onions should be unbrowned and translucent.
Make a well in the center of the pan, add a touch of oil, then the ginger. When fragrant with ginger, toss to blend in with the vegetables.
Add in the mustard and mei-quin leaves, and immediately toss using tongs to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Do this until the leaves and mustard start to wilt. Drizzle with the soy sauce, followed by the orange juice, then scatter the coriander seed over all. Add the garlic chives to the greens and mix in. Everything should become aromatic at this point. Toss and turn the vegetables so they combine well and get flavorings all over them.
As soon as the leaves begin to wilt and no longer appear raw, use tongs to transfer the vegetables to a bowl or platter, allowing all liquid to drain off and stay in the pan. If there is a lot of liquid, reduce until there is around 1-2 ounces in the bottom of the pan. At this point, your butter bits should still be cold (if working in a hot kitchen, keep butter bits in frig. or freezer). Take 3-4 at a time and toss into the pan liquid. Swirl the pan using the handle, dropping in butter just before the last piece added melts. When the sauce is emulsified, stop adding butter and drizzle sauce over the vegetables. Give a final toss to get sauce over everything, then the dish is ready to serve.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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