Garlic Broccoli 蒜蓉西兰花 Recipe
Steamed broccoli infused with garlic flavor.
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Ingredients
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Broccoli
Garlic Sauce
Method
Broccoli
- 1
Prepare broccoli
Rinse the broccoli and drain. Trim off the tough stem ends, peel the outer layer of the stems if thick, and cut into bite-size florets (about 2–3 cm pieces). Slice any thick stems into 5 mm pieces so they cook at the same rate as the florets.
- 2
Set up steamer
Pour 500 ml water into a wok or pot with a steamer basket and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. The water should not touch the basket—just produce steam.
- 3
Steam broccoli
Place the broccoli in the steamer basket in a single layer if possible. Cover and steam for 4–6 minutes, checking at 4 minutes: the broccoli should be bright green and tender-crisp (a fork should pierce the stem with slight resistance). Adjust time by floret size.
- 4
Shock and drain
When steamed, immediately transfer the broccoli to a colander or large bowl. If you prefer a firmer texture, plunge into ice water for 30–60 seconds to stop cooking and preserve color, then drain well. If you want it served hot, skip the ice bath and drain thoroughly.
Garlic Sauce
- 5
Combine sauce base
In a small heatproof bowl combine the minced garlic, light soy sauce (1 tbs), warm water (2 tbs), granulated sugar (1/4 tsp), sesame oil (1 tsp), salt (1/4 tsp) and red pepper flakes if using (1/8 tsp). Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and distribute the garlic evenly.
- 6
Heat the oil
Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is very hot (but not smoking). This should take about 1–2 minutes. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle briefly when poured over the garlic mixture.
- 7
- 8
Taste and adjust
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed—add a pinch more salt or a few drops more sesame oil to taste. If you want a thinner sauce, stir in an additional teaspoon of warm water.
- 9
