Broccolini in XO Sauce – Sybaritica

When I recently featured Broccolini in a post some weeks back, I mentioned that it is a hybrid of broccoli and Gai Lan. I also mentioned that Gai Lan is one of my best-loved greens and so, today, I am featuring a simple preparation inspired by a perennial dim sum favorite, Gai Lan in Oyster Sauce. Here, though, aside from using Broccolini instead of the Chinese greens, I am replacing the Oyster sauce with the much more decadent XO Sauce and some rice wine as well…

Your Broccolini should ideally be pre-blanched as per my introductory post, but this is not strictly necessary if you wish to save time. For the sauce, simply stir 2 to 3 tablespoons of XO Sauce into about 4 tablespoons of rice wine and set aside.

For the actual cooking, you need to use just a little oil in a suitable pan over very high heat as we are going to flash-fry the Broccolini. If you have pre-blanched (as I have here), you really only need to cook for a minute or so, tossing the stems to prevent scorching. If the Broccolini is raw, the frying will take a little longer and require more attention but, in either case, it is advisable to splash a little water (or stock) into the pan to create a little steam.

When the Broccolini is tender enough and heated through, throw in the sauce and stir fry for a final few seconds. Serving immediately is best (and this is highly recommended if intended as a dim sum serving) but the dish can be allowed to cool and be quickly re-heated if necessary. I actually saved all but a few stalks from this batch and served them as a veggie side to some pork cutlets with plain old mashed potatoes and apple sauce. Very nice indeed!

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