(charred bok choy with croutons, fermented pickles and radishes)
I was introduced to bok choy when I created a restaurant back in the late nineties. We were three partners one of whom was Chinese and loved bok choy, the other French and myself Austrian. Of course I wanted to reflect all of our interests and likes in our menu but being committed to locally sourced ingredients bok choy didn’t seem to be an option – I thought it was an imported vegetable. I was proved wrong when I met a family from Asia on my frequent farmer’s market trips. The family operates a local farm not far away from New York City and grows the most amazing bok choy and they sell it at the farmer’s market – Bingo. I created a chicken dish which I spiced with freshly ground licorice and then pan roasted it simply. The licorice underlined the natural roasting flavor quality. The chicken was served on a local three apple puree and bok choy which was quickly sautéed.
(saute bok choy with sausage and poached egg)
Thanks Bok Choy
Over the years I came to realize when creating menus that vegetables are actually triggering the sale of a protein such as beef, chicken, lamb etc – meaning that a guest generally knows what these taste like and actually chooses by the accompaniment. So thank you bok choy for making my dish a top seller - the chicken and bok choy combo outsold the other menu items by far.
Bok Choy is known to me in three versions shoots, baby sized and large. Younger bok choy is tender compared to the large one which has more texture. I love the crunchiness and simplicity of cooking it -- a quick steam makes the three versions palatable but when kissed by a skillet quickly it becomes one of my favorite refreshing vegetables in Summer time.
Sautéed Bock Choy Salad
(recipe yields four bok choy side portions)
1 large bok choy or 2 lbs baby bok choy
3 scallions
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil
Dressing
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey may be substituted
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch pepper flakes
1. rinse bok choy with water then cut into 1-inch pieces
2. rinse scallions with water then cut into 1-inch pieces
3. toast sunflower seeds in a skillet on medium heat setting until browned
4. for the dressing combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, agave, sesame oil, and pepper flakes then mix with a wire whisk
5. In a large (11-inch diameter) skillet heat canola oil on high heat setting then add bok choy and cook/brown for 4-5 minutes then add dressing. Serve immediately (at this point bok choy still has a nice crunch but lost it’s rawness)
(bok choy salad with carrots, ping pong radishes and Sriracha dressing)
Note: bok choy contains a high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C
Chef’s Tip: bok choy is terrific next to bbq pork or beef and perfect under a filet of grilled fish
